Amnesia
by SerenityVerdant
Summary: Waking up with no memory, Kagome is forced to rely on Sesshomaru of all people to take care of her. His disdain for Kagome aids in hardening her heart as she relearns the world around her, but things take a quick turn when Sesshomaru is put in a bad position. While her friends desperately look for her, Kagome is drawn into a budding romance with the Lord of the Western Lands.
1. Chapter 1

**Warning:** While this warning is in my profile, since most people don't look at them… It's rated M for a reason. Rape is a subject and is in scene(s) in this story.

 **A/N:** I don't like asking for reviews, so this is the only time I will put this here. Please review if you do enjoy the story to let me know that it actually is liked. Stories that get no feedback don't continue.

Chapter One: Forgotten

It comes by no surprise to anyone that Kagome and Inuyasha were fighting for the thousandth time. A recent interaction with Kikyo left Kagome hurting and Inuyasha too stubborn to apologize for his behavior. Inuyasha's running back and forth between the two women left the group splintered and exhausted from the deja vu. As if that wasn't enough, Koga showed up less than an hour later and made the situation worse. As expected, Inuyasha's reluctance to acknowledge any care toward Kagome's feelings sent her running off home.

As she rode her pink bicycle into the territory of the Bone Eaters Well, Kagome slowed to a stop and got off. She looked down into the darkness of the well, the night sky preventing her from seeing the bottom. This routine felt all too familiar and was getting tiring for everyone involved. These arguments didn't just impact Kagome and Inuyasha, but her friends and the ability to collect the jewel shards. With all of this being her fault for breaking the jewel, was it right for her to selfishly run off like a child any time things didn't go perfectly?

"How stupid…" she muttered and collapsed to her knees in frustration, laying her hand on the rim of the well and staring angrily at the ground. Tears fell from her eyes, soaking the grass beneath. She squeezed the wells rim angrily and yelled, "Stupid Inuyasha!"

Kagome turned her back to the well and sat down, relaxing against it as she stared up at the night sky. She couldn't run off home again. She had things to do and her school work was becoming less important with every day that passes. After all of this was done, did she even plan on truly returning home? So, what was the point in trying to continue her schooling?

"What has my life become?" she asked herself and she sat in silence for some time, thinking to herself about the predicament she found herself in. She wasn't ready to return to the group, but she knew she wasn't going home for the usual three days that these fights called for.

After a full hour of thought passed her by, Kagome finally got to her feet and picked up her yellow pack, moving over to her bike again. She swung her leg over the side, finally ready to return to Kaede's village to continue her hunt for the Sacred Jewel. The moment she went to press the peddle, as sharp pain shot through her skull. Within moments, Kagome's vision suddenly faded to black and her body collapsed to the side, her bike falling with her.

When Kagome finally came to it was because of a bright light shining down on her face. She struggled to open her eyes, but when she finally got the strength to, she realized it was the sun that woke her. She was in a large room, laying under some rather comfortable blankets. Kagome took in her surroundings, but thought very little of it. Was this normal? This odd sensation overcame her as she laid in silence. She couldn't remember how she got here. In fact, Kagome wasn't able to remember anything, not a single memory came to her mind, not even her name.

Kagome sat up and looked around, a mild pain throbbing in her head. She groaned from the pain and found herself staring mindlessly at the wall, as if the passage of time was lost on her. Some hours later, the door finally slid open and Kagome's attention was finally caught by something.

"You're awake! How are you feeling?" a small girl came into the room and quickly sat down by Kagome's side. Nothing but silence and a dazed expression from Kagome left the child confused and concerned. "Are you feeling okay, Kagome? Your injuries are healing well."

"I…" Kagome tried to speak up, but was at a loss for words. Her mind was still blank and she couldn't pick out what she wanted to say. The young girl was becoming more concerned by the silence. Kagome was never this quiet before, so something must be wrong.

"I'll go get Lord Sesshomaru." she said quietly, the worry showing in her tone. The girl got up and hurried out the door, leaving an even more confused Kagome in the room.

Kagome couldn't tell how much time went by when the door once again opened. The sound of the door slamming open caught her attention and her eyes shifted from the blank wall over to those who entered the room. Standing there was the same young girl and a tall man with long silver hair, piercing gold eyes, and an expression that caused her clouded heart to race. Even with no memory and no understandable emotion in her head, this man's stare scared her.

"See, Lord Sesshomaru. She's woken up, but acting strange." the child explained.

"Go play, Rin." Sesshomaru ordered and watched the child leave.

"Alright! I'll be in the gardens, Lord Sesshomaru!" Rin smiled, bowed, and hurried out of the room, but not without looking worriedly back at Kagome before she closed the door.

"Be grateful that Rin is the one who found you in the forest. You were practically dead and would have bled out if it weren't for her begging me to help you." Sesshomaru explained bluntly, but he was surprised by the lack of reaction from her, "Once you're healed, you will leave my home. Do you understand?" He still received no noticeable reply. There was silence between them for a few moments. "What is wrong with you?" he asked in irritation.

"I don't know." Kagome got out three words before her mind blanked again.

"Do you know who I am?" Sesshomaru asked curiously, realizing quickly that this was a mental change, not a physical one. His doctors were among the best in healing for demons, so they could figure out how to heal a mortal without any issue.

Kagome looked up to Sesshomaru's eyes again, watching him stare down at her with that same hard look. While she watched him, her heart raced, but she wasn't able to tell why it was happening. She looked away from him after a bit and put her hand over her heart.

"No." was all the reply that she could muster.

"Interesting." Sesshomaru said and stepped up to Kagome. She looked up to him as he reached down and grabbed her hair, pulling her up from the bed. Kagome whined weakly, grabbing his hand in an attempt to free herself from his powerful grasp. She got nowhere with it and was pulled all the way to her feet. Sesshomaru did not let her go and she quickly figured out that she couldn't resist against someone like him, so she stopped trying to get free.

"It hurts." she whimpered, wincing from the pain of his grasp.

"Have you lost your memory? Do you even know who you are?" he asked and the question seemed to catch her attention. She stared back at him, going through what little she could in her mind. She shook her head, feeling a sadness well up and some tears along with it. Sesshomaru dropped her instantly, having no intention of dealing with a human's tears. He expected her to fall to the ground since he had been mostly holding her up, but she caught herself. "It seems your injuries were worse than originally thought." Sesshomaru said before turning to leave, noticing that Kagome moved to follow after him, "What are you doing? You will not leave this room."

"I…" Kagome went to protest, but stopped before Sesshomaru even had a chance to react. She turned from him and returned to the bed, sliding under the blankets, continuing to stare at the wall. Sesshomaru watched her mindless behavior for a moment before leaving the room.

The hours of silence left Kagome tired. Her attempts to remember anything caused her more frustration and the boredom that set in caused her to fall asleep. Hours later, Kagome slowly stirred from her sleep when the little girl she met before, Rin, shook her awake. It took her a moment to remember this room, but it really was the only memory she really had. When Rin realized Kagome had woken up, she stopped shaking her and gave her a moment to recover.

"It's time to wake up, Kagome! You need to eat or you'll never get better." Rin said as she slid a tray of stew and bread on the side of Kagome's bed. The first few bites were delivered by a very careful Rin. Kagome did as she was told and ate the stew and felt this pit in her stomach ease. After a bit, she was able to sit up and eat on her own. Her hands were a little shaky, but she was able to eat on her own. The room was silent with Rin sitting there watching her. It made Kagome feel a little awkward, but what was she going to do about it? It took her about twenty minutes to eat everything and the moment she put the bowl down, Rin cheered happily.

"Thank you." she said with a weak smile.

"You're welcome, Kagome!" Rin replied, more excited that she got a reaction out of Kagome.

"Kagome…" Kagome repeated her name, unaware that it truly belonged to her, "That's what you keep calling me. Kagome… Is that my name?"

"HUH!" Rin's eyes widened and she hopped onto the bed with Kagome, "Yes, of course! Your name is Kagome. Ka-go-me! Don't you remember? Lord Sesshomaru said you might not."

"Mm…" Kagome whimpered sadly. She looked to the ceiling to try and remember, but could not. She shook her head and looked back to the sweet girl next to her. "You are Rin, right?"

Rin gasped excitedly and clapped her hands once, "So, you remember me?"

Kagome shook her head and Rin's expression saddened. "No, I'm sorry. The man – the one that was in here before – he told me Rin was the one I needed to thank for finding me and bringing me here. If you are Rin, then thank you for finding me and asking that man to help me."

"You're welcome, Kagome, but I'm confused. Why don't you remember me?"

Kagome shook her head, "I don't know, I'm sorry. I had forgotten my name until you called me by it. I still don't remember it, actually. I guess I'm taking you at your word for that one."

"Well, I wouldn't lie to you, ever! I promise…" Rin looked to the floor to think. Kagome could tell that Rin was thinking very hard and contemplating something that was extremely important to the young girl. It was cute, so Kagome smiled faintly at her.

"I'm sorry I've forgotten you, Rin." Kagome spoke up after a minute of silence. Rin popped cheerfully out of her train of thought and hopped back off of the bed.

"Oh, don't worry. I know what I have to do." Rin put her hands on her hips and smiled really big, "I have to help you get your memories back! It has to be why I was the one that found you in the forest before anyone else did! It wasn't just a coincidence, but some sort of destiny, I bet! It means I need to help you, so I will! I can promise you that, Kagome! I will do whatever I can to help you remember everything you've forgotten! I'll try my very best to help you!"

"Rin, that's awfully sweet, but I can't let you promise something like that." Kagome said and Rin was instantly disheartened. Her excitement vanished and she looked disappointed at Kagome. It made Kagome feel guilty, so she patted the girl on the shoulder. "Rin, I can't let you promise that because what happens if I don't get my memories back? I was thinking about it before I went to sleep. If I never get them back, it wouldn't be your fault, but you'd feel like it's your fault because you promised to help me get them back. I don't want to hurt your feelings, but I also don't want the girl that saved my life to feel bad that she couldn't save my memories."

"I see." Rin looked to the floor, still saddened, but understood Kagome's worry. Rin turned and picked up Kagome's tray before walking out the room. "You need to rest more. I'll bring more food later on, okay?" she said, trying to sound excited, "Sleep well, Kagome!"

Rin closed the door between her and Kagome, leaving the memory-less Kagome sitting in silence with nothing but the guilt of disappointing Rin. However, she did not regret what she told the young girl. Someone so young she not be bound to a promise like that. Kagome sighed and laid back in bed, staring at the ceiling while deep in thought. As she was on her way to falling asleep, she received another visitor, hearing the door slide open once again. She looked over to see Sesshomaru staring down at her, looking more irritated than he had been before. The look he held was harder than before and caused her heart to race once again.

"A-Are you okay?" she asked him, the stare being too much.

"I'm sure you've heard this from Rin. She wishes to help you get your memories back." Sesshomaru explained angrily, practically spitting the words down at her.

"I know, but I told her not to promise that." Kagome replied as she sat up to face him.

"Explain."

"She made a promise that I would never hold her to, but a girl as sweet as Rin would hold herself to a promise like that and it'd only harm her if it never happened." Kagome explained as she was told to do, her heart still racing as she struggled to keep eye contact with Sesshomaru as he glared down at her, "I saw no reason for Rin to be bound to something that may not be possible."

"That's a more mature reaction than I've ever seen from you. Normally, you behave as an impulsive and impudent child. Is your lack of memory allowing you to act as an adult?"

"I don't know." Kagome lowered her head, staring somberly at her lap.

"For Rin's sake, I will allow you to stay longer. I'm curious about your loss of memory and how it may have happened since it was not your head that was damaged. You also may prove useful without all of those troublesome memories getting in the way."

"Useful, how?"

"In dealing with my meddlesome younger brother. Of course, you don't remember him, do you?" Sesshomaru turned away from Kagome and walked out, "Rest. You'll need it."


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two: First Encounter

The morning air was thick with the smell of flowers and the sounds of songbirds rang in the air. The courtyard of the Western Manor was well tended to. Many species of colorful flowers grew in planters and along the stone pathways that winded through the yard. There was a single tree at the far-right end that had grown beautifully and its cherry blossoms were in full bloom. The cool forest air blew through the leaves and the flowers, spreading the peaceful aroma over the land. It was a beautiful place.

Little Rin was leading Kagome through this place and toward the cherry blossom tree. When they arrived, Rin guided Kagome by hand over to a stone bench to sit down. The bench had a crescent moon carved on the stone legs and over the seats ornately decorated surface. Once Kagome took her place, Rin hopped up onto the bench with her, swinging her little legs while cheerfully humming a tune.

It had only been four days since Kagome woke up from her stupor. Rin was more than helpful. The child made sure Kagome was staying out of trouble and avoiding the Master of this house. Besides a few very short interactions with him, Kagome knew nothing about her host. She only knew he was very cold and did not seem to like her company, but was letting her stay for Rin's sake. Kagome had already become quite attached to the young girl. The two stayed close and Kagome enjoyed Rin's company quite a lot.

"How are you feeling today, Kagome?" Rin broke the silence with a sweet concern. Kagome looked to her with a soft smile, took a deep breath, and looked calmly around the garden.

"Thanks to you, Rin, I'm doing pretty well. I don't know what I'd do if you weren't so kind to me." Kagome said, lightly nudging her arm against Rin's shoulder. Rin smiled widely back at Kagome. The two talked about anything Kagome could comment on. Rin learned quickly that bringing up anything that Kagome won't remember made her feel sad, so they talked about the castle they were living in, the garden, the maids, the little imp Jaken, and their favorite spot under the cherry blossom tree.

The two fell onto a conversation about a memory the two now shared. Jaken had attempted to bring in the horses from their feeding, but they all stepped on him. If the little monster wasn't so durable, he might have been killed. Instead, he came out of it with a few bruises and a headache. Rin laughed happily when she recalled the incident. Kagome was laughing too, but was cut short by a strange sensation that crawled creepily over the back of her neck. Kagome jumped up, grabbed Rin in a panic, and held the girl close as she looked back to the cherry tree behind them.

"Kagome, what's wrong?" Rin held onto the woman tightly, looking around worriedly.

Kagome stared at the top of the tree. She felt something there, like she was being watched. There didn't seem to be anything there until a breeze picked up and blew the blossoms. Kagome narrowed her eyes at something she spotted. There were two glowing red orbs floating there. It did not take her long to realize they were staring at her. She backed away from the tree and the eyes followed her.

"Kagome! What's wrong?" Rin raised her voice. Kagome heard her and set the girl down.

"Rin, I need you to run. Go get… Um, Jaken. Get Jaken!" Kagome said desperately, not remembering Sesshomaru's name _again_. She did not take her eyes off the eyes and they did not look away from her.

"Why, Kagome? I don't underst-."

"Please, Rin! Just go!" Kagome glanced back to Rin and gently nudged the child along. Rin hurried away with fear leading her through the courtyard and back into the manor. Kagome looked back the moment Rin began to run, but the orbs moved. She looked around quickly only to find them floating right in front of her face, not a foot away from her. "What do you want?" Kagome asked it. The eyes narrowed at her and Kagome could see a sense of amusement in them. This made Kagome more nervous.

"Interesting." A low raspy voice echoed out from nowhere. A moment later, a hand came from out of a dark portal and reached out to her. Kagome froze in fear, her eyes and body trembling as the rough hand caressed her cheek and ran freely through her hair. "It seems that it worked."

"Wh-What worked?" Kagome asked, her voice shaking in fear. The hand came back and pulled away what seemed to be a cloak of energy that disappeared. When it did, Kagome immediately felt sick to her stomach. She stumbled back, but was caught by the newly revealed man. He curled his arm around her waist and pulled her into him. She fell limply into him and her senses were all overwhelmed.

"It'll pass, Kagome." The man spoke all too familiarly with her. Kagome tried to regain her composure and stand on her own, but her body would not respond normally. She looked at this man, but could only see the outline of his figure. She knew his eyes were red and his hair was long and black. Her vision instantly became horribly blurry, so she couldn't make anything else out. In a few moments, everything went black.

"Kagome! Kagome! Please wake up!" the sound of a rather upset child stirred her back into consciousness. Kagome's eyes fluttered opened and were immediately met with the tear-filled ones of Rin. Kagome blinked a few times, sat up, and quickly pulled Rin into a tight hug.

"You're okay! Good." Kagome looked around to see where she was. She was still in the courtyard, but it was a bit warmer and closer to the afternoon. There were two other people in the area as well, Jaken and the lord of the house, Sesshomaru. When her eyes met his, Kagome felt like she was being smothered by his presence. His glare was always intense, but it was more intense than normal at this moment. Kagome figured he was probably angry with her for causing trouble.

"What happened?" Sesshomaru demanded an answer by his tone alone. Kagome looked away and thought for a moment. She remembered something and then looked back to the cherry tree. Her eyes widened and jaw dropped. Every beautiful blossom the tree had was gone. The tree was dead.

"They all died…" Rin said sadly. Kagome looked down to her and picked Rin up, setting her down on the bench they always sat at. Kagome wiped Rin's tears away and smiled weakly at her.

"Listen to me, Rin… The flowers will grow back. They always do. It may take some time, but they will return, okay?" Kagome reassured the child, who nodded solemnly, "But you know what cannot be replaced, Rin? You. It is impossible to replace you. So, I need you to promise me something, okay?"

"What?" Rin asked happily, but also surprised at Kagome's care for her.

"When I tell you to run or to get away like I did before, you need to do it right then and there. You do not ask me why because if I'm telling you that you need to run, that means I think something might try and hurt you and I do not want that to ever happen. Do you understand, Rin?"

"Yes." Rin hesitated and then said, nodding with a soft smile.

"Now, promise me. Promise me that when I tell you to run, you will run."

"I promise, Kagome. I promise!" Rin stomped her foot and stood strong. Kagome could tell she wasn't exactly aware of whatever danger that was, but that was a promise that Kagome had no problem holding Rin to. She pulled Rin into another hug and looked over to Sesshomaru, who was still just glaring at her. Either way, they both knew that the two of them were going to have to talk.

"Jaken." Sesshomaru looked down to the little green imp.

"Yes, my lord!" Jaken's ear piercing voice sounded out rapidly at his master's call.

"Take Rin inside and get her some lunch. She needs to eat." Sesshomaru demanded. Jaken agreed and tugged on Rin's kimono to tell her to come on. Kagome smiled at Rin as she let her down and waved as the child hurried off with the annoying green toad that Kagome had quickly come to dislike. Though she did have to admit that the little monster was entertaining for the young Rin.

Kagome had taken the hint quickly. When Sesshomaru stayed there, the two of them were going to have a conversation about what happened. Sesshomaru frightened her though. He always seemed angry with her very existence and she understood that he hated her, but did not know why. Any time that they were alone, which was a rare event, Kagome's heart would race uncontrollably and now was no different.

"Before you begin your interrogation, I don't understand what happened." Kagome spoke up quickly and clearly to show she knew what he wanted. His eyes narrowed at her again, his piercing glare being warning enough for her to keep talking. "I felt something. I don't know what it was, but I felt something crawl up my back and to my neck. I thought something was touching me, so I grabbed Rin and pulled her away." Kagome stepped toward the dead tree and pointed up toward one of the thick branches. "Whatever he was, he was standing there watching us. I told Rin to run and get Jaken and when I looked back, he was right here… He was in my face. He touched me, said 'it worked' and I fainted."

"He?" Sesshomaru repeated.

"Yes. He. It was a man's voice. When he… appeared, everything around me felt heavy." Kagome swallowed nervously, "I don't know how else to describe it. I felt like something was pressing down on my body, I couldn't see clearly."

"Do you not know what he looks like?"

"I can only tell you tall, male, black hair, and red eyes. That's it."

"That is of little use to me. Someone has invaded my home and I need to figure out who. If you remember anything else, come see me at once. Understood?" Sesshomaru demanded. Kagome nodded in reply and he turned to walk away. Kagome watched his back and then remembered another thing.

"His voice." She called out toward Sesshomaru and he stopped walking, "It reminded me of you." Kagome stared at Sesshomaru as he turned his head to glare back at her. "He looks at me like you do too, like he hates me, like he wants to hurt me. Whatever I did to you before I forgot everything, I'm sorry. I know you're doing it for her sake, for Rin, but I am grateful that you haven't thrown me out and I'd really rather not stay here if I have to look around every corner to avoid you."

"I am doing it for her, but understand that if your actions or your presence here is putting her in danger, I will not hesitate to dispatch you from my home." He replied seriously and Kagome nodded. He turned to walk away without another word, but was stopped when she abruptly ended her next sentence.

"I wouldn't want it any other way, Lord Se-..." Kagome stopped when she realized she couldn't remember how to complete his name. When she addressed him previously, she avoided his name at all cost, usually calling him "my lord" or some other variant of it.

"Sesshomaru." he spoke up to remind her, an eyebrow raised in irritation at her, "Rin told me you never remember it. Since you still forget your own name at times, I won't fault you, but I suggest you not forget it again. Rin says my name enough that it shouldn't escape your mind that easily."

"I'm sorry, Lord Sesshomaru." Kagome sighed and lowered her eyes to the floor, "It's not just my memory that is messing me up. I doubt admitting it will do anything, but you scare me."

"As I should."

"I had a feeling that's what you wanted." Kagome refused to lift her head to look at him, "Being here is terrifying. When Rin is off learning, I'm afraid to leave my room even though I've been given permission to do it. If I don't have her as my guide and run into you in the halls, I honestly fear you'll hurt me."

"You think me that petty?" he asked, venom in his tone.

"Petty? I don't think you're petty, but I can tell you hate me. I don't know why, but you do." Kagome stated and crossed her arms, a bit of her old personality showing, "I don't remember anything and I'm not sure if I'm ever going to. That's scary enough, but to have the only person I have no choice but to rely on look at me like he's ready to destroy me for tripping over my own two feet is too much!"

"Rely on?" Sesshomaru said and looked utterly disgusted at her. She relied on him? What the hell?

"Of course, Lord Sesshomaru." Kagome said and stepped angrily up to him. He didn't move an inch, but there was this brief moment of surprise at her actions. She dared to step up to him? She was behaving like her old self, gutsy and with too much attitude. "Do you have any idea how it feels to not know who you are? I don't remember anything about me: my Mom or Dad, whether I have siblings. I don't even know if I have any friends, where I am supposed to live. The only thing I know is that I was attacked and hurt bad enough that I lost my memory. So, whether you like it or not, since Rin is a child, you're the only person I have to look to. You and Rin are the only people in my life! How is that something you don't understa-"

Sesshomaru grabbed Kagome by her hair and dragged her over to the bench. He pulled hard enough on her hair that she was forced to sit like a puppet on strings. She whined and asked him to let go, but he only tightened his grip so her hair pulled harder on her scalp.

"Understand something, girl. I do not care about who you have in your life to rely on. I do not care about how scared you are in my company or about how uncomfortable you feel when Rin is not around. You are here to entertain and take of Rin. Once your memories have returned, I will send you on your way. If they never return, I may decide to get rid of you at any moment. Your words will not sway me. You'll be wise to understand that and quickly."

"I-I understand!" Kagome said and was let go. With a couple of tears welling in her eyes, Kagome held onto her head and chose to not look back at him. Sesshomaru glared at her for a moment more and turned away with his holier than thou huff. As he walked away, Kagome looked to his back, wondering how someone could be so cruel. Maybe it wasn't safe to stay.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter Three: A Minor Mistake

The next couple of days within the Western Castle were not pleasant. It was made clear that the only one who cared for Kagome was the child, Rin. She stuck by Kagome's side whenever she could. They played games, talked, and explored the castle grounds. When Rin wasn't around, it meant she was off learning to read and write with Miss Jukudo, a high-status servant of Lord Sesshomaru that did not like Kagome at all. Whenever Kagome got near Miss Jukudo, the demon servant glared at her and insulted her in whatever passive-aggressive way that she could. It only calmed down when Rin told Lord Sesshomaru what was happening and he apparently scolded her for "insulting his guest." Any sort of protection from Sesshomaru was a surprise, but to be referred to as a "guest" was more than that.

The time Kagome spent alone was boring and painful. Whenever she was left alone with her thoughts, her mind seemed to dive deep into a dark abyss that broke her own heart. The lack of memories left her with nothing good or happy to look back on. Sure, the few memories she had with Rin were pleasant, but they were clouded by the hatred that Sesshomaru exuded whenever he was near her.

On this particular day, merely a week since she had first woken in her new room, Kagome was contemplating the idea of running away. She had gotten to know the castle grounds fairly well and the castle guard had a few blind spots that she could slip through. Well, more like the changing of the guard left them vulnerable for about two minutes and that would be her only window. Lord Sesshomaru's men were very well trained and they knew to keep an eye on her whenever she was in sight.

Kagome thought about running off last night. The fear of Sesshomaru's anger and hatred toward her made her feel like running was the only other possibility. The fact that she had run into him, literally, when she and Rin were playing tag in the courtyard caused her to have nightmares and it was only making things worse. He was too unpredictable to her. There was only one problem with her plan of running away from this place and that was the fact that she didn't have the heart to leave Rin.

"What do I do?" she asked herself while curled up in her bed. She couldn't come to a decision before she heard her door slide open.

"Kagome!" shouted an excited Rin, who came running in with a scroll in hand. She quickly spread it over the bed as Kagome sat up to greet her.

"Hello, Rin. What have you got there?"

"I did it! I wrote a whole letter all by myself." Rin explained and sat down beside Kagome. She went on to read the letter to Kagome. It was addressed to Sesshomaru and thanking him for everything he did for her. Kagome was surprised to hear some of the stories Rin had, but the most impressive story was about being saved from being eaten by a pack of wolves. It was surprising to Kagome that Sesshomaru had the ability to show any care toward anyone, especially a human.

"That was beautiful, Rin." Kagome smiled at Rin and pat the girl's head. She was so proud of finally being able to write so much on her own, but she didn't seem to realize how well she was reading. Kagome pulled the girl into a tight hug and swung her back and forth a bit, giggling. "You're reading so much quicker now and you aren't having trouble pronouncing any of the words. I'm so proud of you!"

"I am doing better, huh? Do you think I should give it to Lord Sesshomaru?" Rin asked and Kagome's words immediately got caught in her throat. Would Sesshomaru even appreciate such a gift? She tried to think about it, but couldn't come up with a reason to give Rin the answer she deserved.

"You know him better than I do, Rin. What do you think?" Kagome replied.

"Well, I…" Rin looked sadly down at her paper. She was so proud that she finally got the words right. She finally spelled Sesshomaru's name right too, but she wasn't sure whether he'd care. "I don't think so. I don't want to bother him with it. He might get mad at me since it isn't important." As Rin talked, her tone became sadder and sadder. Soon, tears welled in her eyes and she was crying. Kagome had never seen Rin cry and she hated it. Rin was always so happy and cheerful. It was like nothing in the world could bother the sweet girl, but Sesshomaru had the ability to tear out her heart without even standing in the room. Kagome thought them like Father and daughter. Apparently, that wasn't it.

"It's okay, Rin." Kagome pulled Rin into her arms and held on tight. Rin curled into Kagome's arms and tried to stop crying, but it took some time.

Meanwhile, standing right outside Kagome's door, Lord Sesshomaru was listening to the entire conversation. It had been a long time since Rin seemed upset. He wasn't sure he had seen her cry up to this point. At this time, it was him who made her cry as well. She had completed something that she was extremely proud of and happy that she had done, but she didn't have the courage to approach him with it. Teaching her to read and write was something he decided to do, so he would want to see whether she was progressing. Rin thinking her progress wasn't important to him surprisingly bothered him. He'd have to think of a way to explain that progress is always significant.

"I need to go take a bath. Will you eat dinner with me after, Kagome?" Rin asked as she hopped down off of Kagome's bed. Hearing the child's feet hit the ground gave Sesshomaru enough time to walk off. It wouldn't be good for the Lord of the Western Lands to get caught eavesdropping on two mortals.

"I don't know, Rin. Lord Sesshomaru doesn't want me leaving my room for the next two days." Kagome explained with a weak smile, "The leader of the Panther Tribe is here and my presence may cause problems. At least, that's what he said…"

"Aw, okay. Maybe I'll bring dinner in here to eat with you!" Rin said excitedly, "I can't let you be alone for that long! It will make you go crazy being in here all that time without me around."

"You're right about that." Kagome nodded, "I'll look forward to dinner then."

"Yay! I'll see you in a little while!" Rin hurried out of the room, forgetting the scroll she left in Kagome's lap. Kagome looked down to it and rolled it up nicely. Rin's tears entered her mind once more and Kagome's heart sank. Sesshomaru should read the letter. He must care something for Rin if he keeps the child around. Sesshomaru has also said that he's keeping Kagome around for Rin's sake too. Kagome pulled the covers off of her and stood up from bed with the scroll in hand.

"I'll take it to him." she thought and walked out of the room. Kagome walked the halls trying to find Sesshomaru. She couldn't find him and none of the servants she asked had seen him in a while. Kagome turned a corner to head down toward his study when she was met by a strange looking woman with blue hair, fangs, and wearing a white kimono. Stepping near the woman left her feeling cold as well, so she backed away, unsure whether she was about to be struck or not.

"Don't I know you?" a mellow feminine voice asked her. The woman stared curiously at Kagome, watching as the amnesia-stricken woman retreated from her. Kagome looked around to see if Sesshomaru was near, but he currently wasn't in sight, which allowed her to calm down.

"If you do, then I don't know. I don't remember." she replied quietly enough that no one beyond the hall they were standing in could hear her. "I… lost my memories."

"I see. My name is Tōran. I am the leader of the Panther Demon Tribe of the South."

"Oh, my name is Kago-…"

"Lady Tōran," a familiar voice turned the corner behind Tōran. Both Kagome and Tōran turned to see Sesshomaru walk toward them with two armored demons following. He glanced to Kagome, instantly causing Kagome to stiffen, but brought his attention to Tōran a moment after. "I will see to it that you are escorted to the border. This is Alwin and Goras, two of my strongest guards. They will be the ones to escort you to the Southern border to ensure your safe travels."

"Thank you, Lord Sesshomaru. Since you've helped us settle in the South, things have gotten much better for my tribe. Any aid you offer will be repaid in full." Tōran bowed and nodded to the guards. She turned to leave, but stopped and turned to Kagome once more. "I hope your memories return soon."

"O-Oh. Thank you, Lady Tōran." Kagome bowed politely and refused to rise until Tōran left with the two guards assigned to guard her. Once they left, Kagome stood up to speak, but was surprised when she found herself on the ground. She froze in shock. It took a moment for the pain to set in, but once it did, Kagome found herself in the fetal position, holding the side of her face. "But… why?"

"You were told to stay in your room. Could you not follow this simple order?"

"I-I'm sorry." she said as tears quickly welled in her eyes, "I just… I wanted."

"Spit it out, wench." Sesshomaru raised his voice for the first time. Kagome found herself squeezing the scroll in her hand and opened it up to see if she had ripped it in anyway. When she saw that it was crumpled, but not hard to read, she pushed herself to her feet and held it out to him. The paper was shaking because Kagome couldn't find the strength to clam herself down. Sesshomaru didn't look to the paper immediately. He watched Kagome's reaction to being struck and then took the scroll. When he realized what it was, he looked up to Kagome with an eyebrow raised. "Why did you bring me this?"

"Rin… She's working so hard. She didn't think you'd care, but I thought… that…" Kagome couldn't hold back the tears anymore. She turned away and ran back to her room without another word. Sesshomaru didn't care to follow or call after her. Instead, he took the scroll and went the opposite direction.

Kagome hurried into her room and shut the door behind her. She fell into her bed and held her pillow to her face, crying as quietly as she could. She couldn't stay here anymore and being struck by him helped her make her decision. She couldn't believe how much that hurt and she knew he was holding back. He obviously wouldn't kill her because of Rin, but the entire side of her face felt numb. Without another thought on the matter, Kagome pulled out the clothes she had tucked away. Up until now, Kagome had been wearing clothing that Sesshomaru provided for her. They were casual kimonos, but he was not wanting to deal with the revealing garments she normally wore. If she were leaving, she'd wear her own clothing, not anything that Sesshomaru provided for her, no matter how nice they were.

Kagome put on her old school uniform, quickly feeling awkward in the short skirt and unsure of how or what to tie the sash around. She just tied it around her wrist and left her room. She left two garments (her bra and panties) that she didn't understand how to use in the sack that held her clothing as well. Dinner was close, so most people in the castle weren't in the halls. She was easily able to sneak out to the front courtyard, but was forced to use a tree to climb over the castle walls since the guards were still present. Once she made it outside the walls, Kagome darted off through the valley and into the forest less than a quarter of a mile away. She looked back as she hit the tree line and was thankful that no one was following her.

It wasn't long after Kagome's escape that Rin came to her room with Miss Jukudo and two trays for their dinner. When they found the room empty, the two went to the baths and then the courtyard only to find that Kagome was gone. There was no other place in the castle that she was allowed to go to alone.

"We should let Lord Sesshomaru know." Miss Jukudo told Rin, but that only worried the young girl.

"If Kagome is lost, then I can find her." Rin claimed, not wanting to get Kagome in trouble.

"Little Miss, Kagome is not in the castle. Her scent is fading and the strongest point of it is leading out over the wall." Miss Jukudo explained to Rin, the child's expression saddening more, "Come we must tell Lord Sesshomaru what has happened."

"Okay…" Rin gave in and followed Miss Jukudo through the castle until they came to Lord Sesshomaru's study. Rin may be young, but she wasn't stupid. Miss Jukudo wanted to report Kagome as soon as possible in order to get Kagome in trouble, but Rin couldn't think of a way to argue. If Kagome had run away, the only person that could find her was Lord Sesshomaru.

The two knocked on the study door and a moment later could hear Sesshomaru call for them to come in. Rin shot through the door quickly, arms outward toward Sesshomaru.

"Kagome's missing!" Rin shouted worriedly and hurried to Sesshomaru's side. She clung to Sesshomaru's leg and looked scared up to him. "Something must have made Kagome sad! Miss Jukudo said she ran away, but we were supposed to eat dinner together! Kagome wouldn't leave without saying goodbye! I know she wouldn't! Can you go find her?"

Sesshomaru's gaze was stuck on his young ward for some time. His stoic expression left Rin wondering whether he'd be willing to help Kagome or not. She did break the rules by running away, so Rin just hoped that she wasn't in too much trouble. Sesshomaru finally sighed in irritation and looked up to Miss Jukudo, motioning to Rin.

"Miss Rin. Let Lord Sesshomaru make his decision. You still need to eat." Miss Jukudo went over and pried Rin off of Sesshomaru, guiding her toward the door. Rin didn't take her eyes off of Sesshomaru as they left, but he didn't move for as long as she could see him.

"Stupid girl." Sesshomaru muttered angrily. For a brief moment, his eyes flashed red and he vanished from his study. The demon lord moved through his castle with ease and darted out of the castle, landing on the wall to figure out where Kagome's scent was leading. The moment he realized that she climbed the wall to slip passed his guards, Sesshomaru could feel his blood boil. He did not approve of someone disobeying him, especially a weak human woman. He contemplated whether going after her was worth it. "Maybe I should tell Rin she's dead."

Kagome was having trouble finding her way through the forest. The area was thick with trees, rocks, and hills. She also did not know where she was going, so for all she knew this random direction was going to get her killed. She was moving quickly and didn't see the edge of a small drop-off coming until it was too late. She tried to stop, but tripped over a rock and went tumbling over the cliff. She let out a shriek as she fell through the air. She was expecting a hard impact, but instead she fell into a pile of straw. When she realized she wasn't badly hurt, she sat up and looked around at what seemed to be a makeshift bed.

"What is this?" she asked, not noticing the demon sitting about ten feet away from her. She stood up from her landing spot and dusted herself off, readjusting the short skirt she had on.

"What do we have here?" an ominous voice caught Kagome's attention. She snapped around to look toward the voice. Sitting on a fallen log was a tall slender man with eyes and long hair as green as the healthiest of grass. Kagome was instantly put off by the look in his eyes. He seemed hungry and watching him lick his elongated teeth sent a strong shiver down her spine.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter Four: Into the Snake's Den

In the instance that Kagome looked into this green haired mans eyes, she realized she had probably made the biggest mistake of her life. Though Sesshomaru scared her and hit her, there were far worse things outside of those walls. She was safe within them. She was safe under his roof, but out here she was nothing more than a meal to those who wanted what she had.

"Where did you come from?" he asked her as he spit out a piece of seared meat that didn't meet his standards. He dropped the rest of his meal to the dirt and stood up. Kagome took a step back, only to trip over the thick straw she had originally landed on. Before she had a chance to stand, the color green had overtaken her vision. The speed at which he moved was not that of a human, so it was obvious that he was a demon like Sesshomaru was. Besides those within Sesshomaru's castle, she hadn't met anyone else. She thought demons were all sophisticated, but this one was the opposite. He looked like he survived only in the wild, his body thin and putrid.

"Get off of me!" she begged and tried pushing him off, but her wrists were quickly pinned to the straw. His fang-filled smile thirsted for something she wasn't aware that she was not willing to give. He looked down at her body in a way that she didn't understand.

"Shh, girl. Stay still and you won't get hurt. Understood?" he hissed into her ear, his narrowed eyes piercing her gaze with a threatening message. She swallowed fearfully, but nodded. He released her wrists and she tensed, frozen beneath his body as his rough hands ran aggressively down to the collar of her shirt. With a swift motion that pulled at her neck and burnt the skin on the back of her neck like hands sliding down a rope, he ripped her shirt from her body.

"Wait, stop it!" she begged as this happened. She was pulled half way into a sitting position before the shirt finally ripped off and let her fall back into the straw. Kagome immediately covered her breasts, her cheeks turning a deep red. She racked her brain trying to come up with a plan of escape, but with the strength this man was showing her, there was no way. He didn't seem as strong as Sesshomaru, but he was still stronger than her. Apparently, there were a lot of things in this world that were stronger than her. She was defenseless…

"It's been a while since I found a pretty one." he said as he laid down to press his body into hers. She felt overwhelmed, trapped by his stature. Though he as not a large demon, his lanky body was much taller than her own and his strength only made things worse. Kagome felt his hand running down her side and in between her legs. With a fluid motion, Kagome's legs were forced open and this man fell between them. She couldn't tell what it was, but her racing heart told her that it was time to fight. She kicked her legs as hard as she could and went to scratch at his face.

"No! Stop it! Get off of me!" she screamed at the top of her lungs, crying as she fought against her attacker. He laughed as she struggled against him. Once one of his hands was able to grab one of her wrists, it was easy to grab the next and pin them above her head. He used his other hand to remove his shirt and leaned down to kiss her neck once it was removed. She winced as if the one mild thing he had done hurt her. It might as well have hurt her, since it felt disgusting.

Suddenly, the assault on her body stopped and Kagome saw him looking at something. She followed his gaze and her eyes went wide at the sight of Sesshomaru standing atop the cliff she had fallen down. Had he come to rescue her? Or was it to punish her again? She hoped it was the former of the choices since this humiliation felt like punishment enough.

"Lord Sesshomaru," her attacker spoke up to the demon lord, the sound of his voice as threatening as the bite of a venomous snake, "Why have you come to my den?"

"Is this how you spend your days, Kitanran?" Sesshomaru replied, sounding amused.

"If one falls into my den, they're an easy target. An intruder in my home is asking for it."

"Heh. How vile, forcing yourself on a human woman."

"It's not like I have women lining up at my door like you do, milord. I get what I can."

"Hm." Sesshomaru suddenly vanished from the top of the cliff. Kitanran stood up and turned his back on Kagome. He looked ready to fight, but Sesshomaru was barely acknowledging him as the white-haired demon walked passed the uncivilized brute and stared down at the half-naked human laying in the straw. "Pitiful." he said and she looked away embarrassed, "Have you learned your lesson, girl? Running off like a pouting child was a mistake."

"I-I know." Kagome whimpered and moved away from both men, keeping her back to them as she began to beg, "I'm sorry, Lord Sesshomaru! I'm so sorry! I'll never disobey you again!"

"Lord Sesshomaru, you know this human girl?" Kitanran asked, surprised at the scene that was unfolding before him, "I-If I had known… I swear, I wouldn't hav-…"

"Silence, Kitanran. Yes, I obviously know this girl." Sesshomaru turned to Kitanran and set his hand on the hilt of Tōkijin. Kitanran's eyes widened and he backed away from Sesshomaru, fear showing all over his face. Sesshomaru did not give him another moment to speak. Sesshomaru darted swiftly forward, swinging his Tōkijin upwards from its place at his waist. That one fluid movement sliced through Kitanran's chest, sending him back and to the floor with a gaping wound. Sesshomaru put his sword back through his sash and turned to Kagome again.

"Did you think that was enough to kill me, Lord Sesshomaru?" Kitanran spoke from what was supposed to be a corpse. He sat up, laughing, and his wound regenerated right before their eyes. "I am no longer so easy to kill. I've gained power these past few years. You will regret letting me live the first time and not going for my head the second!" Kitanran rushed Sesshomaru at a blinding speed, catching the dog demon of guard. Sesshomaru was actually struck and sent sliding along the ground until a tree stopped him from moving forward.

"This power…" Sesshomaru thought and before he had a good chance to retaliate, Kitanran was on the attack once more and punched square in the chest. The force of the punch pushed Sesshomaru further into the tree and caused the trunk to break behind him. The force continued further and Sesshomaru's body went flying even farther. This time he was not able to land as gracefully as he was used to. Sesshomaru ended up on his back, but quickly recovered, hopping to his feet. "And where did you get such power? You were never this powerful."

"Let's say I've found something quite helpful." Kitanran said as he began seeping out a powerful demonic aura. The skin on his face, arms, and hands began to change into black scales. By the time he was fully transformed, Sesshomaru had Tōkijin redrawn and was on the attack. He went to slice through Kitanran's chest. Kitanran didn't even attempt to dodge, but instead held his arm up. When Tōkijin struck his arm, it bounced off the scales like they were made of stone.

"Damn him…" Sesshomaru thought. He made a quick glance toward Kagome, who was watching from the entrance to the small cave Kitanran had been staying in. He turned back to Kitanran, who was laughing hysterically at this point.

"This is great! You can't cut through my scales at all!" Kitanran quickly went on the offensive again and put Sesshomaru on the defensive. The two of them fought hard enough that the area was mostly destroyed, Kitanran's camp along with it. Kagome ran off and hid behind a few trees, hoping that she wouldn't get hit in the crossfire. The battle lasted for some time. When it finally slowed down, Kagome was in shock that Sesshomaru had taken quite a few hits. He had quickly figured out that Kitanran's entire body were not covered in those scales, so his weak spots were obvious, but something was strange about this entire thing. Kagome felt off the entire time she watched them fight. It was like a tickle at the back of her head, a ping of some sort, or even a sixth sense. Every now and then, when she looked at Kitanran, there were glowing parts of his body that seemed to exude some sort of powerful energy.

"Lord Sesshomaru!" Kagome called out to him, but Sesshomaru didn't give her any attention. He would not take his eyes off of his opponent in the midst of battle. "He's got something strong glowing in both of his arms and in his throat! I bet that is where he is getting the extra power!"

"In his arms… and throat?" Sesshomaru smirked and went on the attack again. Each of his movements were slowed down by a couple of injuries he had received previously. Kitanran was still moving as quickly as he was at the beginning of the battle. Sesshomaru was going to have to outsmart him if he was going to win. Luckily, he soon got his chance to do it. Kitanran's ego got in his way and he left himself open, allowing Sesshomaru to stab him through the stomach with Tōkijin. Sesshomaru smirked as his foe yelled in anguish, but instead of keeling over, Kitanran suddenly bit down into Sesshomaru's shoulder. Sesshomaru could instantly feel the venom seep into his newest wound. He pulled back away from Kitanran, dropping to a knee and holding his shoulder. He had to move quickly, otherwise Kitanran would just heal again.

"Kagome." Sesshomaru called out to her.

"Uh, y-yeah?" she replied shyly and surprised that her name was used. She hid a bit more behind the tree that had been giving her cover and waited for him to tell her what he wanted.

"He's going to heal again. When I signal, remove those jewel shards." Sesshomaru demanded and watched as Kitanran's body once again begin to regenerate before his eyes.

"Jewel shards?" Kagome asked, but got no answer. Instead, Sesshomaru went on the attack the moment that Kitanran was about to stand up again. He went to strike at Kitanran's neck, but his blade was pushed back. He forced Tōkijin forward, fighting against the power of the sacred jewel shards that he realized were protecting his enemy. The power of both auras fought against each other, the energy striking out at the surrounding area. It took a lot of his power, but Sesshomaru was able to force the aura back enough to stab into Kitanran's chest.

"Ah! Damn you, Sesshomaru!" Kitanran yelled as he felt the blade slide into his skin. Once again, Kitanran's body fell limp and Sesshomaru added injury by forcing Tōkijin down his chest and into his stomach, splitting the snake demon's torso in half.

"Hurry, girl. Do it now." Sesshomaru called for her. She hesitated for a moment, receiving a glare from Sesshomaru that sent her running toward what was currently a corpse. She looked at the shining areas and noticed the center was a small gem. Was that what she needed to get? "Hurry." Sesshomaru said and she nodded. The corpse was already starting to heal. She grabbed the one in the neck, flinching in disgust as she pulled it from the demon's flesh. She grabbed the second and third at the same time once she saw the flesh returning to its original form again. Once she pulled the small shards from the demon's flesh, the two watched Kitanran's body disintegrate, soon becoming nothing but ash before their very eyes.

"Wow…" Kagome stood up and backed away from the pile of ashes, looking at the two pink gems that she held, "These are really powerful, aren't they?"

"They are pieces of a gem called the Sacred Jewel. I know very little about them as I was never interested in such a thing, but you can sense them?" Sesshomaru asked, honestly curious. In figuring that out, it cleared some things up about his brother. He used this girl as a jewel detector, didn't he? Inuyasha must want the jewel to become a full demon… Pathetic.

"Do you want them?" Kagome asked and held them out to Sesshomaru.

"As I said, I do not need such things. Keep them and take this." Sesshomaru was luckily not wearing his normal armor as he had run from home to find her. This gave him the ability to remove his haori and hand it to her. She quickly realized that she was still half-naked and covered herself up. The memories of what happened moment before flooded her mind for a brief moment. Tears almost made their appearance again, but were stopped when Sesshomaru dropped to a knee, using Tōkijin to keep him from completely collapsing.

"My Lord!" Kagome kneeled down by him and looked worriedly at his wounds. The look in her eyes was something Sesshomaru was not used to, it was something he'd only seen from Rin after he came back from rather tense battles. "Are you going to be okay? How can I help?"

"Get J-…" Sesshomaru's strength gave out. While he was not hurt, Kitanran was a snake demon and he had been bitten. The venom from that wound seeped into his body and weakened him. He fell forward and laid there in the dirt, breathing heavily as sweat slid down his face.

"No, no, no, no…." Kagome was sincerely worried, terrified even. He glanced up to her to see that she was looking around in a panic, trying desperately to think of something to do. Seeing this worry was amusing, especially since about a week ago she'd likely let him die. "What do I do? What do I do?" she asked and looked over to Kitanran's camp. She hurried and looked through his things to find something, anything that could help. "Damn it!" she shouted angrily, slamming a tight fist into the ground when she could find nothing to help.

"I'll be fine." Sesshomaru spoke up and Kagome looked back to him, crawling over quickly and then sitting by his side, "It'll work through my system, but it won't kill me."

"Is there anything I can do to make it go away faster?" she asked, a single tear falling from her eyes for his sake, "I can't sit here and watch you like this… I need to help you."

"Sitting and waiting is all yo-… There is one thing you can try, if it is that important to you."

"Yes, tell me!"

"There is a small creak over there," Sesshomaru said, struggling to point south from their location, "When you find it, follow the waters flow until you find a small yellow flower surrounded by white flowers. If I can eat the root of the white flower, it'll pass quicker."

Kagome didn't say another word to him, or even give him sign that she'd accepted such a mission. She just stood up and ran off, wrapped in his haori. Now that she was gone, Sesshomaru had no problem letting out a brief chuckle at how worried she was. The herb wasn't far, so hopefully she'd be okay running off on her own. Since his scent was in the air, most demons would avoid coming here. Maybe that haori would save her life… who knows?

Kagome was moving through the forest like she knew what she was doing. She leapt over raised roots, maneuvered around rocks, and didn't miss a beat when she finally found the creak and ran down river to find this herb. The adrenaline kept her going. She was angry with herself. This was her fault. She should have never run away. And if he hadn't come to save her… She didn't have time to think of that. She owed him everything now. What Kitanran was doing just felt wrong and she couldn't imagine what would have happened if Sesshomaru hadn't rescued her.

"He has to be okay. He has to be okay." she thought as she ran faster, her feet taking her as quickly as they could. While she was worried about Sesshomaru because this was her fault, she was also worried for Rin's sake. Seeing him lay there, the first thing that came to her mind was the smile of that adorable little girl who tried so hard to take care of her. She couldn't let Rin down. She couldn't let the Father-figure of such a sweet child die because of her.

Finally, she spotted those white and yellow flowers and slid to a stop before dropping to her knees. The landing was a little rough and scraped up her knee a bit, but she ignored the sting and grabbed the all of the flowers she was told of. She couldn't remember which one was needed. At first, she only grabbed the flower, but hit herself when she remembered he mentioned eating the root. It took her a little longer to get more flowers and dug down to the root this time. She couldn't make that possibly fatal mistake. Sesshomaru said he was going to be fine, but he was also injured, so she wouldn't take that chance.

Kagome turned back to the creak and hurried back up the way she came, following it up until she saw signs of Kitanran's camp and turned in a bit early. She tripped over a rock and right into the clearing that was Kitanran's camp. She found Sesshomaru had moved to lean against the fallen log, a small trail of trickled blood leading to his new position. He raised an eyebrow at her clumsy entrance into the area. Did she really run all that way? She looked tattered.

"I-I got them." she said as she got up and hurried to his side, holding the flowers out. Sesshomaru said nothing as he looked at what she brought. He went through some of the roots that belonged to yellow flowers and tossed them to the side. He found three that belonged to the white flowers and crushed them in his hand before shoving them in his mouth and swallowing.

"You did well." he said, licking some dirt from his teeth and spitting it behind him, "I will rest for now, but not long. Rin will be worried about you if we stay too long."

"Okay." Kagome said and stayed quiet. Sesshomaru was looking tired, so she wouldn't bother him anymore. Within those few moments of silence, Sesshomaru's eyes closed and he fell asleep. Kagome watched him and was quickly entranced by what a handsome man he was. She knew he was harsh, strict, and stoic, but he obviously had more emotion than he let on. He wouldn't have come after her if he didn't, even if it wasn't for her sake, but Rin's. It was in that short second, that Kagome realized for the first time… She felt safe.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter Five: Love

The second side to this story takes us back to right before Kagome was abducted by a mysterious culprit, when she was thinking about running home. Inuyasha spotted a Soul Collector hovering over Inuyasha Forest and ran off without a word, leaving the rest of his friends confused. He quickly caught Kikyo's scent and hurried into the trees, moving just beyond the Bone Eaters Well before finding her.

"Kikyo, what are you doing here?" Inuyasha called out to the woman across the clearing from him. Kikyo turned her attention from one of her Soul Collectors and to the confused half-demon.

"This is my home, you know." Kikyo said with a soft smile, "It is bothersome that everyone seems to have forgotten that this was where I lived, where I trained, where I was born… raised my sister."

"We haven't forgotten!" Inuyasha rejected her claims and stepped closer, "How could anyone forget?"

"Inuyasha, do you think it fair that I must sit on the outskirts of my own village, looking in like some stranger, while your friends claim my home for their own? You even live in my hut." Kikyo asked in a bittersweet tone, though her narrowed eyes showed the irritation she tried to hide.

"N-No, I-… I didn't think about it that way." Inuyasha said sadly, looking to the ground in shame.

"Then I'd appreciate it if you did not rush my way every time that I come close to my home." Kikyo turned fully to him, "It's insulting."

"Me coming to you… is insulting?" Inuyasha replied surprised at those implications. His mind went wild with other assumptions about her not wanting to be near him, though none would be confirmed.

"Why do you insist on doing it every time? Have you not realized that I am dead?" Kikyo asked.

"I know that!" Inuyasha exclaimed, "But that doesn't stop me from caring about you!"

"You cared about the old Kikyo, the living woman with flesh not made of mud and soil." Kikyo sighed and turned from him, her head slightly lowered, "Stop clinging to the past, Inuyasha. If you do, you'll never be able to look toward your future… and in the end, you'll lose that too." Kikyo began walking away, only to have her wrist grabbed and her body pulled into his arms. He closed the distance so quickly that she didn't get a chance to react to him.

"Kikyo… You can't expect me to just let you go." Inuyasha whispered softly to her, holding her tightly to him, "Our story ended before it truly began… Having you here… I can't just ignore it."

"Our story was fated as it happened, Inuyasha." Kikyo brought him into an embrace as well, pulling away as she began to speak, "Understand that you have the possibility of a-…"

The sound of a twig cracking caught both of their attention and they each looked back to see Kagome step around a tree. Kagome looked around for a moment, but froze when her gaze fell on the both of them. Kikyo quickly removed her arms from Inuyasha, but Inuyasha hesitated to follow for reasons that not one of the three understood, but soon did. Kagome stared blankly at the two of them for a moment.

"My apologies." Kagome spoke to break the silence, bowed, and turned back toward Kaede's village. She was gone a moment later, leaving Kikyo and Inuyasha standing silent in the clearing.

"Damn it…" Inuyasha sighed and turned back to Kikyo.

"It is as I said, Inuyasha. If you keep looking to the past," Kikyo said as she pointed toward herself, "You will be stuck there and end up losing your future…" Kikyo then pointed toward where Kagome once stood. Inuyasha understood what she meant in that moment. He couldn't have both and choosing Kikyo was not the smart choice. He wasn't even sure if it was the choice he wanted to make. Kagome was living. She was the here and now, the one who worked with him through everything. Every time he saw Kikyo, she was soon to walk away, vanishing into the fog. "Now, go, Inuyasha."

"Got it." Inuyasha gave Kikyo what they both assumed to be their final embrace and nodded to her before running off after Kagome. He followed her scent through the forest and caught her at the edge of one of the many farms. He hopped over her and stopped her in her tracks. She jumped, startled by his sudden appearance. He'd usually call out her name before showing himself, but that wasn't what he did this time. Inuyasha went to speak, but was taken aback by what he saw. Kagome's eyes were bloodshot red, her cheeks puffy, and streams of tears running all the way down her neck. She didn't even look like she attempted to wipe them with her sleeve like she normally did. She just let them flow…

"Kagome, are you okay?" Inuyasha asked sincerely concerned for her.

"Just go, Inuyasha. Please, just go." Kagome asked, practically pleading with him.

"No, I can't. I… Kagome, what you saw back ther-…" Inuyasha was caught off when she put a hand up. There was this long moment of silence that just carried on and on. Kagome looked almost sick, weak, as if every bit of wellness had been ripped from her body and mind in that single second.

"Inuyasha, I can't do this anymore. I can't deal with any of this. I just…" Kagome shook her head, glancing off into the night. She looked up to the stars. Normally, they'd calm her mind, but their beauty was blocked by the blurriness of more tears clouding her vision. Kagome fell to her knees and brought her hands to her face, sobbing uncontrollably into them. Inuyasha had never seen her like this. It was like she had just been broken, like what she saw back there was the final straw. It was very easy to realize that it was this moment Kikyo was warning him about. Had he lost them both now?

"Kagome, please just listen…" Inuyasha stepped up and knelt down next to her.

"No. Please, understand that I can't. I mentally cannot handle this, Inuyasha." Kagome said and shook her head and then started to yell at him, "What do I have to do? How many times must I fight, kill, get hurt, run to your side, abandon my family and everything I know… All for you. I do everything in my life based on wanting to make you happy, but… You always run off to her. WHY!?"

"Kagome, I do-…I mean, I… It's not that… Kikyo was just…" Inuyasha couldn't get the words out. He just kept seeing that destroyed look in Kagome's eyes and retreated into himself. He racked his mind to find something to say to her, to make things right and explain that they just said goodbye.

"I'm going home." Kagome said, giving up on getting an answer, "I'll be back. I always… come back, no matter what, right? So, I'm going home… again." Kagome stood up and walked passed Inuyasha, finally wiping her face with her sleeve. Inuyasha couldn't figure out what to say to stop her. It was like his fear was paralyzing him, preventing him from speaking up and telling her that it really won't happen again. He just let her walk away. If he gave her some time, let her think while she was back home, maybe he could use that time to come up with something to say to her… Then he'll say it right for once. It was unfortunate that he was unaware that Kagome would not be returning like usual.

.

.

It was pushing late into the evening before Sesshomaru woke. His eyes opened and he quickly sensed a second presence. He looked over to see Kagome laying asleep in the dirt. When he went to move, a slight resistance on his leg stopped him. He turned back to see that Kagome had been grasping at his pant leg, like a child holding onto their parent. The gesture was awkward and unwelcome. He jerked his leg away from her grasp, causing Kagome to wake as he stood from his sleeping spot. Kagome sat up and rubbed her eyes, looking up to Sesshomaru. Realizing he was okay, a smile shined on her face.

"Lord Sesshomaru…" she said with worry fading from her tone, "You're okay. Thank goodness."

"You were worried?" Sesshomaru questioned, a curious eyebrow raised.

"Of course, I was worried! You were hurt because of me…" Kagome stood up and dusted herself off a bit, "I am so sorry, Lord Sesshomaru. I promise, I won't do anything against your wishes again…" Kagome hesitated for a moment, looking to the ground, but then looking back up to him with tears in her eyes, "But why did you have to hit me? Do you know how strong you are? It felt like my neck could break!"

"I struck you because you disobeyed me. I would strike you again for leaving the castle," Sesshomaru said, turning threateningly toward her, "But I'm sure what Kitanran tried was punishment enough. As long as you've learned your lesson, you can return. If you have not, you'll fend for yourself out here."

"I've learned my lesson." Kagome nodded and bowed. He said nothing else and turned back toward the direction of his home. Without another word, the two began making their way back to the Western Castle. Kagome walked behind him a few feet, keeping quiet until it began to bother her. "What did Kitanran try to do to me?" she finally spoke up from behind him. She didn't see him stop walking and suddenly walked into a brick wall of a demon. She rubbed her nose and looked up into an annoyed looking golden eye that had a hint of curiosity in it. "Was that a bad question to ask?"

"No. It's merely intriguing." Sesshomaru turned away and began walking again, Kagome following along quickly, "He attempted to force himself on you, rape you, mate with you against your will… You can choose what you'd like to call it. What he did was disgraceful. He deserved to die."

"Did he deserve to die because of what he tried to do or because it was me that he was going to do it with?" Kagome asked sincerely, but Sesshomaru spun on his heel and glared down at her, "Was that a bad question to a-." Her words were cut off when his hand found its way around her throat. Kagome swung her legs and grabbed his wrist to try and break free from his immensely powerful grip.

"And what exactly is it that you're implying?" he asked, snarling at the offensive implications.

"I can-… too tigh-…" Kagome struggled to speak and breathe until he let go and she fell to the ground, gasping for air and holding her throat, "I only asked because I know you hate me. I can't tell whether the action was what was bad or if I am what was bad. I'm just trying to understand… Is rape normal or do you hate me so much that rape with me is what is bad? I do not want to offend you. I just want to understand what it means."

Sesshomaru was stunned by her question once he understood it. She essentially thought that he detested her enough that raping _her_ was what the problem was, not the act itself. While rape was semi-common practice among some demon tribes, especially when taking mates, Sesshomaru had such actions completely outlawed within the Western Lands. Of course, this was a law carried over from his Father's rule, not just his own. The law was placed to prevent demons from taking human after human as their mates. Sesshomaru kept it in place for this reason as well. He was not okay with hundreds of half demons moving about throughout his lands and that law prevented that from happening.

"It is the act that is despicable." Sesshomaru said with a calmed sigh, "Whether human or demon, in the Western Lands, a woman's body is still something to be respected. Forcing a woman into mating with you is not something I will tolerate. Kitanran was going to force you to mate with him. Before you ask, a mate is someone bound to you for the rest of their life. For men, they often take multiple mates and women are bound to a single man. He was going to force that fate on you."

"Well, mates don't sound fun." Kagome said so casually that Sesshomaru was a little caught off guard.

"What?" he replied.

"Mates don't sound fun. Is that why you don't have one?" Kagome asked, the casualness of the conversation keeping Sesshomaru quiet, "I don't want one. Who would want to be bound to someone like that? What if you get bored of them or they hurt you? What if you don't love them?"

"Love rarely has anything to do with it."

"Well, then that's the problem. Love sounds beautiful." Kagome smiled, day dreaming a bit.

"You can't remember what a mate is, but you can remember love?"

"Rin taught me."

"I see… This is what you two talk about?"

"Sometimes. She mentioned a boy that might love, so I asked what it meant."

"Kohaku?"

"That's his name, yes."

Silence and a moment of blank staring from Sesshomaru was the only reply Kagome got. The demon lord made a quick spin on his heel, his long silver hair swinging with as much annoyance as he felt for the amnesia stricken human. Kagome was left confused, wondering what she said wrong. They were having a decent conversation for the first time since she woke up in her room and he just started walking off. Realizing he was leaving her behind, Kagome hurried on after him.

"Did I say something wrong?" she asked as she came up behind him. She got no reply and Sesshomaru continued walking without acknowledging her. It took them some time to get back to the castle and the entire time Kagome decided that silence was her best bet here. As they came to the castle walls, Sesshomaru and Kagome both noticed that Rin and Miss Jukudo were standing in the courtyard waiting for them to return. The moment Rin caught sight of Kagome, she got up from her place on the stone bench, losing her melancholy expression, and ran over to give Kagome a hug.

"Kagome, are you okay?" Rin asked sweetly.

"I'm fine, Rin. Thanks to Sesshomaru, of course." Kagome smiled and kissed her forehead.

"Why'd you leave the castle? It's scary when you go out alone."

"I made a big mistake. I'm sorry if I worried you, but it won't happen again."

"You promise?"

"I promise."

Sesshomaru watched this little exchange between the girls quietly. Rin was becoming fonder of Kagome by the day and he was not sure whether it was good or bad. If Kagome's memory returned, she'd likely return to her group and break the child's heart. That was a fallout he didn't feel like dealing with. He sighed as the promise was made and began walking back into the castle, passing by the two girls and Miss Jukudo, who was bowing respectfully to him. Kagome watched Sesshomaru as he passed them by, feeling guilty for the trouble she caused, but was curious when he stopped by Miss Jukudo.

"Meet me in my study after dinner. We have things to discuss."

"Yes, Milord."


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter Six: A Dim Light

The passing week was the calmest of the time that Kagome lived in Sesshomaru's castle. After the incident with Kitanran, Kagome no longer had the courage to disobey Sesshomaru's will and run off to find her own way. She was safest here. That event allowed Kagome to understand more about why Rin was so insistent on staying with such a difficult man. She knew little but violence about the outside world. And with Sesshomaru's explanation on what Kitanran attempted, it only worried her more. Why would anyone want to leave such a safe place when only devastation was waiting for you? Kagome much preferred reading, writing, flower gazing, and playing with Rin over anything else.

"What are we going to do today?" Kagome asked as she sat up from her bed. Just moments before, Rin made her way inside Kagome's room and gently shook the woman awake. Kagome had come to expect these morning wakeup calls as they became part of her daily routine.

"It's a surprise! First, you gotta get dressed and I'll tell you at breakfast." Rin explained excitedly before leaving the room with a cheerful smile. Kagome was confused, but any surprise Rin had for her up to this point had been fun. She slid out of bed and began her morning routine. It began with a bath, drying her hair, picking out a new kimono, and then making her way out to the dining hall for breakfast.

Kagome entered the dining hall right on time, as usual. The hall was not as lavish as one would expect. While large, the decorations did not go beyond a large wall scroll with a silver crescent moon in the middle of it. The table could sit up to twenty people easily, but the others were never used. Kagome sat down next to Rin, the child being what separated her from Lord Sesshomaru. Jaken sat across from Rin, at Sesshomaru's right side. It was always silent in the dining hall because that was how Sesshomaru preferred it. Rin would speak to Jaken or Kagome every now and then, but not often and it was always about how delicious the meal was. Anything beyond that was silenced by the head of the table.

After the silence of their morning meal came to an end, Kagome and Rin made their way out of the dining hall, both bowing politely to Sesshomaru as he made his way to his study. The two girls stepped out into the courtyard to get some fresh air, but Kagome had to find out what was in store for them.

"So, what are we going to do today, Rin? You said that you'd tell me after breakfast." Kagome asked as she sat down at their usual stone bench, under the cherry blossom tree. Rin hopped up on the small stone wall that surrounded one of the many flower beds in the courtyard.

"Very soon we're gonna be able to leave the castle!" Rin practically squealed in excitement and Kagome's smile fell as she watched the girl happily hop around, "Lord Sesshomaru has gotten most of his work done here so we can go on adventures all throughout the lands again."

Kagome fell silent while Rin played around a bit. She didn't want to leave the castle. She was finally feeling more comfortable here and her experience outside the walls was terrifying. The concerned look in her eyes caught Rin's attention, bringing the child to stand worried in front of her.

"Are you okay, Kagome?" Rin asked.

"Oh. I'm okay, Rin. I'm just feeling a little odd." Kagome smiled.

"If you're feeling odd, then you should go lay down for a while." Rin confidently nodded at her own suggestion, "Miss Jukudo and I are going to start learning early today because tomorrow we'll be off and I have to get ready for traveling. You have to be ready for tomorrow too, okay?"

"I don't think Lord Sesshomaru will want me to travel with you, Rin." Kagome said with a bit of hope, but she kept up the act some for Rin, "Don't worry, I'll always be here waiting for you."

"But I want you to come with us. You're better than Jaken. He is mean to me." Rin explained sadly. 

"I'll have a talk to him. I'll make sure he's nicer from now on."

"No! I want you to come. Why can't you come?"

Kagome took a deep breath and sighed out frustratedly. She ran her hands through her hair and thought for a moment. Glancing down to Rin, even for the short second that she did, only brought out the guilt of leaving her alone with just Jaken and Sesshomaru. Rin loves Sesshomaru, but Jaken always talks down to and lectures Rin like she was some sort of insect. Kagome could understand why Rin would want someone else there, but her the fear of such an unknown world was holding her back. How could she just walk out of here, where she was safe, when she had no idea what awaited beyond the walls?

"I just… I don't know. Rin, I can't talk about this right now. I need to go rest. You go get ready for your trip. I'll talk to you around dinner." Kagome's finalized tone left Rin sad, but neither said anything. Rin merely turned back to the castle and walked away with her head lowered. Seeing the child so down only increased the guilt she felt. She groaned and laid down on the stone bench, staring at the sky. A few minutes of contemplation brought her to a single conclusion: ask Sesshomaru. She stood up and went into the castle. She always had a hard time finding him. When she wanted to, it was like he was nowhere to be found. When she was avoiding him, it was like he was around every corner. It took a good ten minutes to find him in this place. He ended up in his bedroom on the third story. Kagome, unfortunately, was not aware that it was his bedroom and opened the door without a second thought.

"Lord Sesshomaru?" Kagome called out as she stepped into the room. The room was larger than she expected. The immediate area was a small sitting nook, with two comfortable chairs and a table in between the two. There was a large beautifully crafted rug underneath the chairs that Kagome had to feel under her feet. She took off the straw sandals she always wore and ran her foot over it. The fabric was extremely soft. Like the decorations in the kitchen, it had a large silver crescent moon in the middle of a solid black color. She giggled at the feeling, the most comfortable one she had felt.

The room was interesting to Kagome. She walked around the sitting nook, running her hand along the smooth dark wood that the chairs were made of. She took note of the dogs that were carved into the wood as well. Once the chairs lost her interest, Kagome looked around the room. Her eyes first fell on two sliding doors with clouds and dogs also painted into them. She went over and slid one of the doors open. The view left her awestruck. There were snow covered mountains in the distance, beautiful thick green forests from the mountains until about a mile from the castle, a large lake, and then a small valley of lush grass. The light cool breeze made the view even more comforting for her.

"Beautiful…" Kagome muttered with a serene smile gracing her lips. She took in a deep breath, the nice air filling her lungs and helping her feel refreshed. This was much better than the wooden box she was stuck in on a daily basis. She came back in and closed the door, only to have her eyes finally find the demon in the room. Sesshomaru was staring at her, but she could not tell what he was thinking.

"L-Lord Sesshomaru? I-I'm sorry. I-I didn't see you there." Kagome stuttered.

"What are you doing in my bedroom?" he asked angrily, standing up from the side of his bed. Kagome rushed toward the door to leave, but slipped on the rug and fell. Sesshomaru walked up behind her and grabbed the back of her kimono. He lifted her up and threw her toward the door, causing her to fall once more. "You enter someone's bedroom without knocking. I was resting, impudent wench."

"I did not know this was your bedroom. I am sorry." Kagome moved into a bowing position, her face a couple inches from the floor, "I don't come to the third floor often. I was just looking for you."

"Looking for me? Why?" Sesshomaru asked and pulled Kagome back to her feet by the back of her kimono again. Being pulled up, she became unbalanced and flailed her arms and legs until her feet met the ground again. When Kagome looked up, she was captivated by Sesshomaru's appearance. She had caught him when he was resting, but she was not expecting him to be topless. She did not remember ever seeing another man shirtless before, excluding Kitanran, but she thought him hideous. Sesshomaru was a different story. There was something about him that tickled the back of her mind.

"I, um… Well, Rin explained to me that we would be leaving the castle soon." Kagome explained, having a hard time keeping eye contact. She kept glancing around the room, trying to avoid looking at his bare chest. Sesshomaru noticed this since it was a little too obvious to ignore.

"What are you so distracted by?" he asked, honestly curious.

"N-Nothing. I just wanted to know if I was travelling with you." she asked, avoiding the question.

"Rin wishes for your company, so yes." he replied, "Now leave my room."

"Wait, but I… I don't… I don't want to go with you. I want to stay here." she practically begged.

"Then stay. I do not care." Sesshomaru pushed her from the room and closed the door.

Kagome jumped as the door slammed shut in front of her face. She stared at the door for a moment, the thought of Sesshomaru's bare body in her mind, causing her to blush deeply. She shook her head, trying to shake the thoughts away before she hurried back to the first floor of the castle. It wasn't long before she ran into Rin and Miss Jukudo in the midst of their studies. Rin was in a much better mood now.

"Kagome!" Rin exclaimed excitedly, "Have you changed your mind about coming with us?"

"No, Rin. I will be staying here at the castle. I'm sorry." Kagome said and quickly moved onto her own room. Rin was obviously disappointed, but Kagome didn't give the child time to make her feel guilty. She was too scared to leave the castle. What if another demon wanted to harm her, like Kitanran? She hurried into her room to hide and decided it would be best to spend her day in bed.

It did not take Kagome long to fall asleep, but she wasn't allowed to for long. A little after lunch, she was woken by a sudden jolt. She gasped as she was forced awake and looked up to see Lord Sesshomaru standing above her. Her heart immediately began to race. Was she in trouble again?

"Rin wishes for you to come along with us, so you will." he demanded, leaving very little willingness to argue.

"Wait, but why?" Kagome sat up from her bed.

"I already explained this. Do not make me repeat myself."

"But you said that you didn't care, so why are you changing your mind?"

"Get ready. We will be leaving after you've eaten." he commanded her and turned to leave the room. Kagome stood up from her bed and went after him, but tripped as her foot got caught in the blankets she was using. He stopped and turned to her as he closed the door. "Hurry up."

Kagome quickly realized that she had no choice. With how annoyed Sesshomaru seemed, it was obvious that Rin had come to ask him to make her come along. Kagome sighed and stood up, starting to get ready for the trip before she was to head out and eat lunch. Once she was bathed, dressed, and had eaten alone in the dining hall, Kagome was escorted out to the courtyard. The courtyard was filled with the servants of the castle, Rin, Jaken, Ah'Un, and of course Sesshomaru. Rin was saying goodbye to the servants she liked and Sesshomaru giving orders for what he expected them to do before he returned. When Kagome entered the area, Rin became excited.

"Kagome! So, you are gonna come with us?" she asked, but Kagome didn't really feel like answering. She was irritated and scared. She didn't want to leave, but because Rin wanted her to, she had no choice. Kagome's silence was met with a glare from Sesshomaru, but Kagome was to distracted to notice.

Rin tried catching her attention a few more times, but when Kagome never answered, Rin grabbed the dazed woman's sleeve and tugged on it. Kagome was snapped from her daze and looked to Rin.

"I'm sorry, Rin. What did you ask?" Kagome asked.

"Are you going to come with us?"

"Oh, yes, I am." Kagome replied as happily as she could, though her tone was stressed. Sesshomaru could hear the annoyance, but Rin's smile proved that she did not catch on.

A little over two weeks and Kagome was leaving the Western Castle at Lord Sesshomaru and Rin's side, with the obnoxious little imp and a two headed dragon-demon. She sat on AhUn's back with Rin as they took to the air. Kagome didn't know what to expect, so when they first took off, she was startled and reached around Rin to grab the reins, panicking and trying not to yell. AhUn struggled for a moment, making Kagome's reaction even more unsettled as she pulled harder on the reins.

"Kagome, you're making him go crazy!" Rin said and pulled on the reins. Kagome calmed down and slowly let go of the reins to let Rin take control.

"I-I'm sorry, Rin… So, these make him react?" Kagome asked.

"Uh'huh." Rin nodded, "Watch. Lord Sesshomaru taught me."

The flying lesson went on for some time before they finally landed. Lord Sesshomaru made the decision to walk the rest of the way. Watching Rin and Kagome fly AhUn like he was some sort of toy was frustrating and quickly wore the demon mount out. When they landed, AhUn was already getting tired.

"Rin, you know better than to fly AhUn like that!" Jaken scolded the girl as they walked on.

"I was just trying to teach Kagome how to fly him. She was scared!" Rin explained.

"If I had known it would tire him out, I wouldn't have asked about it." Kagome said and pet both AhUn's necks, "I'm sorry you two, but thanks for dealing with me." AhUn both nudged her back. While Kagome didn't spend too much time with AhUn, they did end up liking her more than expected.

"Either way, Rin knew better an-…"

"Lord Sesshomaru," Kagome politely called to him, having gotten into the habit of interrupting Jaken like Rin often did, "May I ask why we have left the castle? Is there somewhere specific we're traveling?"

"No." was all he replied with, which only left Kagome confused. Which question did he just answer?

"I see." She replied and decided it was best not to ask. 

The group traveled for another hour and Rin was out of things to talk about. Silence weighed the girls down while the four demons kept walking like it was nothing. Soon, AhUn invited Rin and Kagome to ride on their back and the girls were thankful for the chance. Another hour passed and Kagome was left in even more silence when Rin fell asleep. Practically alone with her thoughts, Kagome dazed out, staring through the trees that lined the dirt path they found a couple miles back.

Suddenly, the ground began shaking, but Kagome wasn't reacting. Rin woke up, AhUn stopped walking, and Jaken looked around worriedly, holding AhUn's reins tightly. Sesshomaru, however, looked back to Kagome as she stared blankly into the forest around them.

"GIRL." He shouted, startling Rin, who was holding on to AhUn for dear life. Kagome didn't answer, or even flinch at Sesshomaru shouting at her. "KAGOME." He yelled at her again.

 _Kagome's mind was nothing but darkness. The loss of her memories gave her little to visit when she was stuck in silence. Like now, riding on the back of AhUn without anyone to talk to, Kagome fell into the black void of her own thoughts like many times before, but there was something different here. She stopped being able to hear the world around her, and a voice crept up from nowhere._

" _Kagome, are you alright?" A woman's voice spoke to her. In front of her eyes a girl with black hair, tied back into a ponytail, seemed to form out of the nothingness. The girl held out a hand and pulled Kagome from the ground before turning her back. Something was happening on the other side of this girl, but Kagome couldn't see. No matter how hard she tried to look around her, she couldn't._

" _GIRL." A familiar voice yelled at her._

" _Yes?" she tried to answer, but nothing came out._

" _KAGOME."_

Kagome slowly opened her eyes to see white. She suddenly had the reins in her hand and saw Sesshomaru motion AhUn to fly. She looked around confused, but quickly took control. As AhUn took to the air, a large centipede demon moved through the area, barely missing them.

"Wh-What is that?" Kagome asked, horrified.

"It's a demon." Rin said.

"A demon, but that thing… It's a monster."

"Not all demons look cool like Lord Sesshomaru. Weaker ones look like that." Rin said, watching the fight beneath them. She watched Lord Sesshomaru like he was hero. The centipede demon tried ignoring Sesshomaru to charge them in the air, but was quickly cut in half by the powerful dog demon. Kagome soon brought AhUn to the ground and landed a few yards from the demon centipede.

"Why did you not answer?" Sesshomaru asked, angrily.

"I, uh… What?" Kagome blinked, confused.

"Lord Sesshomaru had to yell at you twice and you still didn't answer." Rin asked curiously.

"I…" Kagome thought for a moment, everyone staring at her, "I saw a girl…"

"What do you mean, Kagome?" Rin asked.

"I… I'm not sure. It was almost like a dream, but not a dream…" Kagome tried to explain, but the stares just continued, "It was dark and then I heard her voice. I think there was a fight happening because I think I was knocked down and she helped me to my feet… Then I heard you yelling, but… I couldn't reply." Kagome hugged herself, looking to Sesshomaru, "I tried, but nothing would come out. I heard you yelling, but… I couldn't reply. I couldn't see you, any of you. Just… Just that girl."

"Lord Sesshomaru," Jaken spoke up, "It may have been a memory trying to surface."

"Possibly." He replied.

"A memory? You think so?" Kagome asked excitedly.

"Oh, that would be wonderful! I hope it is. If you get your memories back, you'll…" Rin's voice faded and she looked off, "You'll leave… Th-That's good. You'll be able to be with your friends again."

Everyone could see the depression in Rin's demeanor strike like lightning. The sudden realization of what happens when and if Kagome's memory returns bothered her. Kagome would go with those she could not currently remember and Rin wouldn't be able to see her again. The child knew this was a good thing. It meant her friend was better and where she belonged, but where did that leave Rin?

Kagome would have commented on this, but before she got the chance, Rin hopped off of AhUn's back and looked to Sesshomaru. She decided to go get some food suddenly. Kagome thought that meant Jaken or Sesshomaru would go with her, or maybe even she would go with Rin, but Jaken and Sesshomaru merely sat down on the side of the road. Kagome watched Rin run off and hopped off the back of AhUn, the dragon also sitting off to the side.

"She goes alone?" Kagome asked.

"Always. She knows how to find what she needs." Jaken explained.

"Brave girl…" Kagome sat down near AhUn and waited, the silence helpful for the first time in a long time, as she tried to recall whatever that may have been. She could only remember the words of a woman talking to her. _"Kagome, are you alright?"_ She couldn't remember the face… Frustrating.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter Seven: Cursed

Rin returned thirty minutes later with a kimono skirt worth of fish. Jaken predicted this and spent the time building a campfire for Rin to cook her catch on. Rin was silent as she cooked and noticeably couldn't look Kagome in the eyes, which broke Kagome's heart. It was because of Rin that Kagome was worried about her memories returning. She didn't want to break the girl's heart.

"Rin." Kagome spoke up after the silence lasted to long, taking a break from the fish she was given.

"Yes, Kagome?" Rin spoke up, cheerful as always. She was hiding her worry.

"Do you remember the day I woke up?" Kagome asked, staring calmly into the fire.

"Yes, a little. Why do you ask?" Rin replied curiously; head tilted.

"You told me my name and I said that I had to take your word on it. Do you remember?"

"Uh'huh. Yep."

"You said you'd never lie to me, right."

"Of course!"

"Then can I ask you something?"

"Um…" Rin was both worried and confused, but nodded, "Yes, you can ask me something."

"Why was it so important to you that I came on this trip?"

"Well, um… I wanted you to be with me and I wanted someone to talk to and um…"

"Yes, but why? You could have asked Miss Jukudo, so why was it so important that you had to ask Lord Sesshomaru to let me?" Kagome asked. Rin looked to Lord Sesshomaru, who only raised an eyebrow as if he too were curious. Rin looked to her fish, her hand tightening around the stick.

"Um, I… Well," Rin whimpered and hesitated, "You're only safe with Lord Sesshomaru."

The answer caught everyone by surprise, though only two showed it: Jaken and Kagome.

"I mean… If Lord Sesshomaru isn't there, they'll be mean to you." Rin explained, "They won't let you leave your room or eat. They won't clean your clothes and they'll try to hurt you if they see you."

"You think they will defy my orders?" Sesshomaru asked.

"Yes!" Rin slammed her fists on her thighs, "Miss Jukudo doesn't like Kagome. A lot of the guards don't like her either. I hear them talking. They hate that she has her own room and gets new clothes and gets to eat with us at the table. They call her really, really, really bad names and even say they want her to die. I don't want to leave Kagome somewhere without you. She's only safe with Lord Sesshomaru!"

"They… want me dead?" Kagome asked and Rin hesitantly nodded. Kagome looked back to the fire, remembering all the smiles and waves she had been getting. Were they all fake? She thought back to Sesshomaru's cruel words toward her over her short time there. Was she safe anywhere? Rin believes that she is safe with Lord Sesshomaru, but she could still feel the slap to her face. Her heart was racing and she had to try hard not to breathe too heavy.

Was anyone even being honest with her? Rin was, mostly, but after hearing about some 'friends' that she had, how much more was in her past? How much had she lost when she had gotten hurt? She knew of Sesshomaru's brother, someone he had mentioned before about her not remembering. What else? What else was stuck in this past of hers that she could only compare to an oblivion?

"We'll find out soon enough." Sesshomaru said and snapped Kagome out of her thoughts, "You asked earlier if we were traveling somewhere specific. There is an old priest living at the base of a mountain in the Southern Lands. Since your memory loss doesn't seem to come from an injury, there are only two other options: a trauma of some sort or a spell of some sort. After that red eyed male that you described visited you in my courtyard, you said he claimed something _worked,_ correct?"

"Yes." Kagome nodded.

"Then, I'm assuming a spell. We shall see if this priest can return your memory."

"That… is extremely kind of you, Lord Sesshomaru. Thank you." Kagome said, obvious shock in her tone.

The night came to an end and everyone went to sleep. Before any of them could truly fall asleep, each had their thoughts plagued of different problems. Kagome thought of her safety. Rin thought of losing Kagome to her memories. Sesshomaru pondered the chance of the priest being successful. Jaken merely thought of his annoyances with no longer being Lord Sesshomaru's only travel companion.

When morning came, the sun shined down through the thick leaves above, waking Kagome from her slumber first. The sun was blocked from interrupting anyone else's slumber. She sat up and turned her body side to side. A few low popping sounds went up her back. She slept hard, not comfortably. Since everyone was still sleep, Kagome stood up and walked through the trees toward the river that she knew was there thanks to Rin catching a few fish last night.

When she came to the river, she sat down on her knees and washed her face off. She then cupped her hands together and took a drink of water as a nice breeze blew through the area. A low crack sounded and she looked up. She couldn't tell which direction it was coming from. She stood up and turned to hurry back to the group. Her eyes met the red eyes of a woman she did not recognize.

"Oh, hello." Kagome smiled.

"Interesting. So, it is true then." The woman said and smirked at her, "You remember nothing, do you?"

"Huh?" Kagome suddenly didn't have a good feeling about this.

"The name's Kagura. You'll be coming with me." Kagura said and grabbed Kagome's arm before pulling out her feather. Wind rushed around them and lifted both women up. Kagome was suddenly flying on a large feather. She screamed at the top of her lungs and began panicking. Kagura put her hand over Kagome's mouth and tried to hold her still when a sudden burst of blue fired up at her. Kagome's struggling quickly proved bothersome, so Kagura hit her on the back of the head, knocking her out.

"Shit." Kagura looked down to see Sesshomaru pointing Tokijin at her. She saw the energy welling up at the tip of the blade and as it fired, she was barely missed. _"He's trying not to hit the girl."_

Kagura waved her fan and the wind picked up. Tornadoes formed around her and rushed down toward Sesshomaru in a powerful gust. He was forced to dodge and by the time he looked up, Kagura had used the winds to hasten her fleeing and was making good time away from him.

"Kagura." Sesshomaru stared at the feeling feather. _"The red eyed male was Naraku. Wasn't it?"_

It wasn't long before Rin, Jaken, and AhUn showed up to see what was going on. They were also woken by Kagome's scream, but weren't as quick as Sesshomaru was when it came to getting to her. Rin looked like she was going to start crying, but Sesshomaru stopped that before it truly started.

"Calm down, Rin. Stay here with Jaken." Sesshomaru gave his orders and ran after Kagura. While Kagura would have speed on him because of her wind powers, all she did was ensure that he would be able to follow Kagome's. She was leaving a trail of her own scent and Kagome's behind.

Kagome stirred in Kagura's arms only a few minutes later. When she opened her eyes and realized she was flying, she went into another panic. Kagura once again tried to calm her down and struggled against Kagome's attempts to flee.

"Calm down, stupid girl. Are you trying to fall?" Kagura said.

"Let me go!" Kagome said, still struggling. Kagura felt the steadiness of her feather wane and quickly lowered to the ground while trying to keep Kagome still. The girl kept fighting and kicked Kagura in the side, but this caused her to finally slip off the feather and fall. She screamed as she fell.

"Oh no." Kagura turned around, but didn't have the speed to catch Kagome.

Luck allowed Kagome to fall into the river. She got caught in a heavy current and was dragged down stream. Her muscle memory seemed to take over for her because she quickly got the hang of swimming. She was able to keep her head above water and moved to the edge of the shore. She pulled herself up and out of the river and chose not to give Kagura a chance to catch her. She stood and ran.

The edges of the forest weren't far off. She hurried into the trees and hid, but as she found a decent hiding spot, a woman she felt looked very familiar stepped through a few trees and stared at her.

"Um. Hello." Kagome stood up and looked back at the woman.

"What are you doing out here, Kagome?" the woman asked.

"Do… Do you know me?" Kagome asked.

"… Have you forgotten?" the woman asked and Kagome nodded, "I do. I am Kikyo. I know Inuyasha is nowhere near here, so if you're wanting to find your friends, it's best you follow the river north."

"Inuyasha? Who's that?" Kagome asked.

"You've even forgotten him?" Kikyo said, surprised.

"I have forgotten everything. I didn't know my name until I was called by it." Kagome said.

"I see. I'm sorry to hear that." Kikyo said and walked up to Kagome. Kikyo placed her hand on Kagome's cheek and stared directly in Kagome's eyes, making Kagome feel really uncomfortable. "It's a curse, a powerful one." Kikyo said and reached into Kagome's kimono to pull out a clear jar. "If you wish your memories to return, you…" Kikyo's attention was caught by something. She pulled her bow from her shoulder and notched an arrow quickly aiming behind her, guarding Kagome with her own body.

Behind the two women, Kagura stood, having followed the river Kagome fell in. Kagura smiled evilly at Kikyo and held out her fan, as if she were ready to fight. Kikyo focused her aim.

"Come with me, Kagome, or die." Kagura said bluntly.

"Wh-Why me?" Kagome asked.

"I'm under orders to retrieve you. I do not know why." Kagura said, "However, I do know that if you refuse, I am also under orders to return to that young girl, Rin, and kill her. So, it's your choice."

"What?" Kagome gasped. There was no way she would put Rin in danger.

"I suggest you leave here, Kagura." Kikyo said, "Is Naraku behind her loss of memory?"

"Loss of memory?" Kagura said, her tone suggesting she knew nothing, "Come on, Kikyo. Let her come with me or I'll have to leave her here and go kill the child, Rin. She's unguarded right now since Sesshomaru is chasing after us, of course. I doubt the little imp could stop me."

"I'll go." Kagome stepped around Kikyo.

"Kagome, no." Kikyo said.

"I have to. If taking me means that Rin is safe, I know what I have to do." Kagome said. Kikyo lowered her bow and returned the arrow to its quiver. Suddenly, Kagome chose to give Kikyo a hug, which caught Kikyo by surprise. She stiffened, but seeing Kagome smile allowed her to return it.

"She's so warm…" Kikyo thought as Kagome stepped back.

"Thank you for helping me, but I need to ask one more favor." Kagome said.

"What is it?" Kikyo asked.

"If you see Sesshomaru. Tell him to protect Rin. No one is more important than her. I'll… be okay." Kagome said with uncertainty. Kikyo could read Kagome like a book. Kagome was terrified, but always very selfless. Even without her memory, Kagome always did what was better for others.

"I will." Kikyo said.

"One more thing…" Kagome said, looking saddened, "Tell him I kept my promise. I didn't run away this time. I was just getting some water… I guess that was stupid too."

Kagome stepped over to Kagura, who grabbed her by the arm. With a throw of Kagura's feather and a strong gust of wind, the two were once again in the air, flying toward the Southern Lands.

Kikyo was left alone and a little confused. With the clear jar still in her hands, she realized that Kagome had just left her jewel shards with her. Kikyo sighed and realized it was probably for the best, especially if Kagome would soon be in the hands of her worst enemy. Kikyo went to the river and waited.

Soon, on the opposite side, she saw a silver haired demon rushing passed her, only a minute or two behind Kagura and Kagome. Kikyo notched an arrow and fired it in front of the demon. He slid to a stop and looked over to Kikyo, anger expressed clearly in his eyes. Kikyo just waved him over, unafraid of anything he may do. The gesture piqued his curiosity, so he leapt across the river and landed beside her.

"You have the gull to fire an arrow at me?" Sesshomaru said.

"I am a master archer, Sesshomaru. If I wanted to hit you, I would have." Kikyo explained and opened her hand, "Kagome was here for a moment. I see she has lost her memory. It is a curse, a strong one, and with Kagura's presence, I am sure Naraku is behind it. Give these to her when she returns to you."

"Why? Most keep these shards for themselves." Sesshomaru said.

"I have no interest in using the Sacred Jewel. I am also sure that they will help Kagome's memory return over time by weakening the curse put on her." Kikyo said and Sesshomaru took them from her, "Kagome asked me to tell you to take care of Rin. She went willingly with Kagura after the child was threatened."

"I see." Sesshomaru said and put the jewel shards in his haori.

"I will find Inuyasha and tell him what has happened to Kagome." Kikyo said, "I'm sure he is very worried about her. Am I able to tell him that she is safe with you, Sesshomaru?"

"She is not presently in my company, so obviously not." Sesshomaru retorted.

"Currently, no, she is not. However, I am aware of your power and Kagome's stubbornness." Kikyo said with a small chuckle, "I'm sure she will return to you soon."

"I appreciate the information." Sesshomaru said and turned back the direction Rin and Jaken were. Kikyo turned away as well when she remembered something.

"One more thing," Kikyo called to him and he looked over his shoulder at her, "I can't imagine why it matters, but she also said that she kept her promise. She was just getting water, not running away."

Kikyo turned away and walked off, Sesshomaru staring at her back before looking back up river. He had every intention to return to Rin and Jaken. With every step he took, however, his mind decided to dig up a few memories of Kagome's time with him. He thought of her interactions with Rin, her running away the first time, her trying to understand her place in the world, the questions she'd ask, and anything else that was apparently meant to guilt trip him. His own conscience was going against his own desires.

" _Rin will be devastated."_ Sesshomaru mentally kicked himself as he turned on his heel and picked up speed after Kagura's scent. It was slowly fading, so he knew he had to hurry. As he ran, he could not help but think about his actions here. He knew that his "Rin will be devastated" though was just a cop out. For the first time, he did not want to leave Kagome to her own fate. He knew that no one would be rescuing her if he didn't. Not only did no one have the power, but her friends had no idea where she was. Leaving her to Naraku's whims was not something he felt he could live with, not anymore.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter Eight: A Lesson in Archery

Kagome watched the trees beneath as they flew over them. Her heart was racing and she was unconsciously rocking back and forth nervously. This woman that took her said nothing and the questions Kagome wanted to ask Kagura were likely not going to get an answer. She thought of escaping again, but with Rin's life on the line, she couldn't. She prayed that Sesshomaru would catch up to them and save her from this woman and whatever fate awaited her. She looked back every now and then to see if she could see him running through the trees to find her and bring her back.

" _Please, Lord Sesshomaru… help me."_ She brought her hands together and prayed. Tears welled in Kagome's eyes and she wrapped her arms around herself, trying to keep calm.

Suddenly, there was a strong burst of power and the air around them chilled rapidly. Kagura's feather began to freeze over, becoming too heavy to fly as ice overtook it. Kagura quickly dispelled the feather and both she and Kagome began to plummet to the earth. As a wind picked up and slowed Kagome's fall, Kagura noticed this and grabbed onto her kimono to slow her own fall as well. They hit the ground softly and looked around. Kagura was already ready to fight, her fan out and open.

"Kagome." A strong feminine voice that Kagome barely recognized called out to her. Kagome and Kagura looked over to Tōran, who pointed a double-sided spear made of ice toward Kagura, "Are you alright?"

"Uh'huh." Kagome nodded, glancing between Kagura and Tōran.

"Your scent." Tōran glared at Kagura, "While I am no enemy to Naraku, yet, the Lord of the Western Lands has warned all territory leaders of his activities and his scent. Unless you release the girl to me now, Naraku will have the Panther Tribe at his opposition as well. The Lord of the Western Lands is ally to my tribe and I will not allow one under his protection to be taken through my lands unopposed."

"Lord of the Western Lands?" Kagura questioned, "Are you talking about Sesshomaru? So, he is not just a prideful demon after all. He rules the West. Is that correct?"

"It is." Tōran nodded, "Now, release the girl to me."

"I don't think so!" Kagura waved her fan furiously toward Tōran and the wind took the shape of crescent blades, firing toward the blue haired demon with intent to cut her down. Tōran quickly jumped out of the way without much challenge. As she flew through the air, she pointed her spear at Kagura once more and fired off her own attack, daggers of dense ice shooting toward Kagura at high speeds.

Kagura gasped as she tried to dodge them, but one hit her shoulder and another struck her left leg. She struggled to keep standing. Tōran walked forward and stood by Kagome's side.

"Lady Tōran. Thank you." Kagome said gratefully.

Tōran nodded in acknowledgement, but did not take her eyes of Kagura.

"Damn you." Kagura cursed and pulled her feather from her hair. The ice had faded from it, so she was able to cast the spell that allowed her to flee. A gust of wind lifted her into the air and she rode her feather further down river, though noticeably unsteady, likely from being injured.

"Are you injured?" Tōran asked once Kagura was out of sight.

"No, I'm okay." Kagome said. Kagome was shaking and Tōran could see it. Kagome felt relief wash over her and it brought her back to crying, this time of a positive mind. Thanks to Tōran, she was freed. She brought her hands to her face, embarrassed at her weakness.

"You're safe now." Tōran said, putting a hand on Kagome's shoulder.

"Why are you being so kind to me?" Kagome asked, using her sleeve to wipe her face.

"I have no reason to be unkind." Tōran said and sat down next to Kagome, "Have any of your memories returned to you yet?"

"No. I think I got a small piece of one yesterday, but a demon attacked and I can't remember the girl's face." Kagome explained and then remembered something, "You knew me before, right?"

"Yes." Tōran said.

"Do you know anything about me?" Kagome asked.

"Honestly? No, not much at all." Tōran sighed, "I know you originally traveled with two humans, a young fox demon, and Lord Sesshomaru's younger brother, but I know little else. Unfortunately, you and I did not meet on positive terms. I was going to sacrifice you and your friends to… well, he was my master at the time." Tōran explained and saw the horrified look on Kagome's face. "Don't worry. Things took a strange turn. My brother and sisters were slain and Lord Sesshomaru brought them back to life. It was an eye-opening circumstance that led us to letting go of an old grudge and trying a new life."

"Really?" Kagome asked in surprise.

"Yes. We owe him a lot, which is why I would ne-…" Tōran stopped speaking when she caught a familiar scent. She stood up and helped Kagome to her feet. A moment later, Sesshomaru came into view.

"Lady Tōran?" Sesshomaru raised an eyebrow.

"Good afternoon, Lord Sesshomaru." Tōran bowed politely and motioned to Kagome, who stepped forward as if requested, "I retrieved your guest from the woman with the feather. She is unharmed."

"You have my thanks, Lady Tōran." Sesshomaru bowed back slightly.

"If you don't mind, I'd like to ask a question." Tōran said while looking curiously at Kagome. The amnesia-stricken girl looked nervously back and forth between the two demons. She wasn't speaking since she knew that the last time Tōran was around did not end well for her.

"Of course." Sesshomaru said.

"She hasn't regained any of her memories, correct?" Tōran asked and Sesshomaru confirmed with a curt nod, "Have you tried having her experience things the way she normally did. Reminding her body who she is may help inspire her mind to recalling old memories."

"I see." Sesshomaru said and remembered he had something for Kagome. He slid his hand into his haori and handed Kagome the bottle holding jewel shards. "I was told these would help."

Sesshomaru held the bottle out to Kagome and she graciously took them, bowing politely, but still saying nothing to either demon. In her mind, this was a "speak when spoken directly to" situation. She truly did not want to get slapped again. The last time almost broke her neck.

"Keep those on you at all times." Sesshomaru demanded and then turned to Tōran, "I know very little about her normal life, but she was adept with a bow and arrow. I may attempt that. Thank you, Lady Tōran, for your advice and retrieving her from Kagura."

"I was honored to give aid." Tōran said before turning toward the South, "I am going to return to my home. Seeing Kagura fly in that direction tells me we need to put up more guard and search for the demon you call Naraku a little more thoroughly. We'll send word on any updates."

Sesshomaru stood silently as Tōran waved to Kagome and himself before leaving. Once she was out of sight, Sesshomaru stepped up to Kagome. Kagome felt his shadow loom over and turned toward him, obviously fearful of his next actions. He stared down at her, his stoic expression giving her no hint of anything he was thinking. She began to tremble and he closed his eyes, sighing.

"Come. We need to return to Rin." Sesshomaru said.

"Yes, Lord Sesshomaru." Kagome said.

Sesshomaru turned back toward the west to follow the river back to Rin. As they walked, Sesshomaru was deep in thought about today's situation. Kagura pretty much made sure to follow the river the entire way to the south. What did this mean? Even Naraku had to know that following such an obvious landmark was a dumb idea when kidnapping someone. Was this a trap? Another one of his tricks? There wasn't enough information to know. What he gathered so far was that Naraku was the one who visited Kagome in his courtyard back when she first arrived and is probably why Kagome lost her memory.

" _Naraku must have some plan for her."_ Sesshomaru thought, _"Keeping her around may prove helpful."_

.

.

There was a notable shift in the air around Sesshomaru. Ever since they returned from Naraku's kidnapping attempt, his mind wandered off more and so did the harsh treatment he normally showed Kagome. While it was cause for concern on her part, she wasn't going to question it. She had a theory that he didn't really realize that he was being kinder because his mind was always elsewhere. The only time he seemed to check back in was when Jaken wouldn't shut his mouth about something and he had to issue one of his well-known over the shoulder glares at the high-voiced imp.

As night fell on yet another day of travel, the group came within a few miles of a large mountain range and decided to make camp. It was only a small campfire that they made Jaken create. As he grumbled on about doing work for humans, Kagome and Rin chuckled amongst themselves. The small conversation continued on until Rin turned to Sesshomaru with excitement.

"Are we close, Lord Sesshomaru?" Rin asked.

"Yes." Sesshomaru replied, his eyes closed as he rested against a tree.

"Kagome, if you get your memories back, will you come visit sometimes?" Rin asked.

"I hope so. I would like to." Kagome nodded, but she wasn't certain in her answer. Sesshomaru's obvious dislike of her made her question whether she could see Rin once this was dealt with.

The night came to a close and the group fell to sleep. Jaken slept atop AhUn's saddle while Kagome and Rin leaned against the two headed demon for comfort, laying snuggled under a shared blanket. The demon lord lay silently, though not completely asleep. His senses were on the surrounding area. There was a disturbance on the wind. He could feel something approaching. However, he sensed no hostility.

"Show yourself." He called out calmly as he stood up.

Out of the shadows of the trees, an old man with a walking cane twice his size appeared. He stepped into the clearing with the group, glancing to those sleeping before looking at Sesshomaru.

"I know why you have come." The old man spoke up, his voice strained. "And I cannot help you."

"What?" Sesshomaru narrowed his eyes. "You're the old priest of the southern mountain?"

"I am. And I am not not at the power I once was." The priest said regretfully. "Naraku, the half-demon menace has stolen my scrolls and my staff. However, even if they were returned to me, the curse he placed on the young woman to wipe her memory is likely too powerful for me to break."

"You know?" Sesshomaru questioned.

"I do. Naraku was very clear with his threats when he came and stole what was mine." The priest explained, his hand so tight around his walking stick that it shook. "I do apologize for my inability to aid you, but unless my artifacts are returned to me, I dare not try, for the curse could backfire and make things much worse for the girl than they already are."

Sesshomaru stayed silent. He glanced over to his sleeping comrades and tried coming up with another idea for returning Kagome's memory. So far, the only chance of returning them was the sacred jewel and what Tōran suggested.

"I understand." Sesshomaru nodded.

"I wish you luck." The old man turned around and walked back into the shadows of the tree, all evidence of his presence, including the scent that Sesshomaru should have been able to pick up, wiped away.

Sesshomaru stood silently. Rin would be happy about this, but Kagome was little more than a burden in her current condition. If this was how things were, it was time to head back to the castle. In the morning, they would head back home and try something a little differently.

.

.

After a long trip back to the Western Lands, the group was exhausted. Jaken's whining never gave anyone a break and the constant attacks by weaker demons or human bandits made it difficult for anyone but Sesshomaru to relax. Once they got home, they all took the day to get some good food, bathe, and slept through the entire night… including the Lord of the castle himself.

When the morning came, Sesshomaru woke bright and early. Breakfast for him and one other was already prepared and set out. Miss Jukudo opened up the dining room door with a groggy Kagome following right behind. Kagome sat at the table and looked around for Rin.

"Lord Sesshomaru, where is Rin?" she asked a long yawn following her question.

"She will not be joining us today." Sesshomaru explained as he ate. "You will begin your training. If I am to continue dragging you out on our journeys, you will learn to protect yourself. Today, we begin training with a bow and arrow, something you're normally experienced with."

"A bow and arrow?" Kagome tilted her head curiously and glanced to the two swords that lay gently against a far wall. "Not a sword? You use swords."

"I can train you in archery just as well. It is also something you've done in the past, so we'll see if it helped bring back a memory." Sesshomaru stated. "Now, eat."

Kagome wasn't one to argue with Sesshomaru anymore. She ate quietly. Once they were finished, she followed him out to the back of the castle. Beyond the courtyard, there was a dirt path down toward a rundown field filled with dirt and patches of short grass. The demons of the castle trained here often.

A young woman stood patiently waiting for them. She bowed and greeted them both with a pleasant smile that Kagome wasn't used to seeing. The sincerity of it was a little off-putting, which only caused her to question the smiles she had been getting from everyone but Rin.

"I've got everything ready. Nine targets, different distances, and creature size." The woman said as she pointed out over the target area. The targets were strategically placed for Kagome to hit small, medium, and large targets at close, medium, and far ranges. It didn't seem too hard.

"Now I know why they wanted me to dress this way…" Kagome commented on her new outfit. It was meant for battle, not casual travel and had armor similar to Sesshomaru's. It wasn't the most comfortable, but that was supposed to change the more she wore it.

"Here you go." The woman handed Kagome her bow and helped her get a quiver over her shoulder. "I'm Yukino by the way. I've seen you around, but never got a chance to talk to you."

"I'm Kagome." Kagome replied, her mind more focused on the weapon she had been handed.

"Good luck." Yukino said and bowed to both of them before Sesshomaru dismissed her.

"Ready to begin?" Sesshomaru asked.

"I'll try my best." Kagome said nervously, smiling sheepishly.

When training began, Kagome expected to hate her life. She thought she was going to get yelled at, pushed, hit, or something when she messed up. Instead, she was met with an odd and disturbing amount of patience as she fired off arrow after arrow. Sesshomaru stood behind her, critiquing her stance and giving what advice he could about her aim. Out of a hundred shots, only twenty-eight actually hit the target, but it was the last fifteen that all hit in a row, so something clicked.

"Hm…" Kagome looked at her right hand, rubbing her thumb around her index and middle finger.

"What?" Sesshomaru asked.

"I don't know. The last few shots… felt different." Kagome explained vaguely.

"Different how?"

"They were easier and they weren't hurting my fingers." Kagome held out her hand to him like a peace sign. "These two always have this rougher skin and I didn't know why. It bothered me for a while, but maybe this is why. You said I did this before, so I probably have this rough skin because of the bow."

Kagome notched another arrow and aimed at the target farthest away. As she pulled the string back, something came over her vision. She could see the waving of white hair and was moving over land quicker than normal. A large black bird flew over a river and she was aiming at it.

"Huh?" Kagome shook her head as the vision was suddenly gone. She looked to the bow and realized she had fired the arrow. When she looked to see where the arrow hit, it struck the very center of the medium sized target placed at medium range.

"Well done." Sesshomaru said.

"I think I had another vision." Kagome turned to him, gripping the bow with both hands. "It was like I was on your back and firing at a really large black bird. I couldn't make anything else out besides moving much faster than I know I could."

"It wasn't my back." Sesshomaru retorted as if he had been insulted. "It was my brother."

"Inuyasha is his name, right?" Kagome asked and Sesshomaru nodded. "Lord Sesshomaru, you know I have no intention of offending you, right?"

Sesshomaru raised an eyebrow, stared, and then nodded.

"Okay, so I want to ask a question without getting you mad at me." Kagome said and watched him to gauge the reaction, but as usual there was none. "Why do you hate your brother?"

"He's a half-demon, an abomination." Sesshomaru stated.

"Whoa." Kagome said out of surprise. "Don't you think that's a little harsh? He is your bro- half-brother. If I had a little brother, I'd rather him be around as family. I doubt he wanted to be born hated by you."

Something about that statement bothered Sesshomaru. He did not show it. He only stared at her as she got back to firing off more arrows. She was hitting the target every time now, but it wasn't something Sesshomaru noticed because his mind was elsewhere again.

" _I doubt he wanted to be born hated by you."_

It was true. Inuyasha had a hard life because of the circumstances of his birth. Sesshomaru isn't stupid enough to deny something that obvious. Inuyasha also never got to meet their Father and his Mother died as a human does. The two of them were the only family either of them had. Inuyasha was not born with the desire to be hated by the only family he had left. Sesshomaru brought that down on him.

Kagome suddenly cheered as another arrow hit the target, pulling Sesshomaru from thoughts he had abandoned long ago. The fact that she brought them back out again frustrated him. He had no intention on allowing his brother into his life. The fact that he reconsidered the thought due to a careless and ignorant comment made by this human woman only angered him more.

"All of them hit this time." Kagome stepped up to Sesshomaru with enough excitement that she could only be compared to Rin in his mind. He looked up from her and to the targets. They were all riddled with arrows, practically every one of them on the mark. This was only one day of training.

"Well done." Sesshomaru said and looked to the sun. He must have been lost in thought for quite some time because it was already coming to the afternoon. When he looked at Kagome, he noticed the sweat soaking her new outfit and the dirt on the bottom of her pants and at her knees. How many times had she gone back and forth to retrieve the arrows? He didn't know. He hadn't been paying attention. However, the results of her training were impressive.

"It's coming on lunch time." Sesshomaru stated.

"Okay!" Kagome spun happily on her heel and put the collected arrows away. The two made their way back to the castle. Kagome walked in front of Sesshomaru, a rare occurrence, but she was so proud of her progress that she wasn't paying attention to the normal etiquette for the moment. Sesshomaru found himself watching her cheerfully make her way back to the dining hall and chose not to rain on her parade this time. Instead, as they reached the castle doors, she realized she was being dumb.

"Oh no. I'm so sorry, Lord Sesshomaru." Kagome stopped and turned to him, bowing politely. "I didn't realize I was walking ahead of you. I know I'm not supposed to on castle grounds."

Sesshomaru said nothing as he reached out and grabbed the back of her training outfit.

"Just keep walking." He said as dragged her along, not acknowledging her apology as anything important and pulled her to lunch. The two reached the dining hall to see Rin and Jaken were already there. They sat in their respective seats and began eating. Kagome told Rin about her training and Rin told her about Jaken getting stung by a huge bee out in the garden because he wouldn't leave the nest alone. Jaken sat in a pout, his left cheek swollen and red from the bee sting, a sight everyone found entertaining.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter Nine: Recovery

Kagome had completely disappeared. The only trace of her was her fallen yellow backpack and the pink bicycle that she often rode when she didn't want to be on Inuyasha's back. They assumed that she went through the well without her stuff, but that was so odd that none of them could truly convince themselves that was what happened. They left it alone for a couple of hours before it drove them all nuts. The moment Inuyasha was yelled at to go check on her, he ran off without hesitation. He jumped through the forest until he came to the Bone Eater's Well and hopped flawlessly through the opening. For a moment, he was surrounded by the familiar starry lights that guided his way to another time. As he landed on the dirt, he hopped back up into the hut that covered the Well in Kagome's time and rushed through the sliding wooden doors and over to her home to see if she was okay.

Inuyasha first found that Kagome wasn't in her room when he pried the window open to get a look inside. In fact, even though her scent was everywhere in there, he could tell none of it was fresh. He decided that maybe she hadn't come up there yet and walked down stairs to greet her family around the dinner table. He opened up the sliding doors and looked around at them all as they stared confused back at him. Seeing that Kagome wasn't there, his stomach sank and his expression fell to worry.

"Where… is my daughter?" Kagome's mother spoke up, quickly recognizing Inuyasha's fear.

"I… don't know." Inuyasha admitted. "She was mad at me again and said she was going home, but when we went to check on her, all of her things were scattered about the forest and her bike was at the top of the well. That wasn't normal, so I came to check on her, but… she's not here, is she?"

"No, she's not." Kagome's mother said and stood up.

"Where's Kagome?" Sota asked, but didn't get an answer.

"Look, boy." Kagome's Mother grabbed Inuyasha by the ear. "The only reason I don't go crazy when my daughter is in a whole other world is because she feels safe with you. I suggest you find her and bring her home safely or the next time I do see my little girl, I will destroy that well so she can never return."

"Y-Yes, ma'am." Inuyasha said, shaking nervously at the terrifyingly cold tone Kagome's mother used. Even Sota and Grandpa were intimidated by it. Kagome's Mother was always so gentle that this other side of her came as a shock, but was frightening enough to strike fear to Inuyasha's heart.

Inuyasha returned to his own time to bring the news to Sango, Miroku, Shippo, and Kaede. Kagome was gone and no one had any clue where she had gone. Normally, Inuyasha would be able to pick up her scent, but he couldn't this time. Was this intentional or were the winds just scattering it? Either way, the news of her disappearance terrified everyone, especially Shippo, who fought his tears back.

The next couple of months had Inuyasha and the group going from village to village, searching desperately for some sort of sign of Kagome. No one had seen or heard anything about her. Worry gripped the group, preventing them from getting any sleep until they were utterly exhausted and physically could not go anymore. Constant fights with demons left them hurting. They didn't even make time to hunt up food until they knew they were starving. Their fear of losing Kagome was the only thing that really kept them moving.

Weak, famished, and fatigued from the continuous journey, the group found themselves on the edge of a forest in an abandoned hut, trying to get some rest even though their stomachs ached. Shippo curled up in Sango's arms, eyes closed but both still very awake.

"Are we ever gonna find her?" Shippo asked sorrowfully.

"Yes… We have to." Sango replied, hugging the boy tighter.

Inuyasha's nose suddenly caught a familiar scent and shot up.

"Kagome?" he called out, but it was not Kagome who emerged from the forest. "Kikyo?"

"Yes, Inuyasha. Disappointed?" Kikyo chuckled and shook her head as her soul collectors flew around her, dropping a couple of souls into her clay-made body. "You all look exhausted."

"We're looking for Kagome." Miroku spoke up, his voice weary. "Lady Kikyo. Have you seen her?"

"In fact, I have." Kikyo nodded to them as she adjusted the basket over her arm, sharing a soft smile. "I assure you, she is safe, but not in her normal condition."

"Wh-What do you mean?" Sango asked fearfully.

"Please, I'll explain, but let me make you all something to eat." Kikyo offered.

Kikyo entered the hut and cooked everyone up a quick meal from the few things she had in her basket. It felt a little too convenient for everyone but Inuyasha that Kikyo showed up here with food. Did she even eat? It wasn't like she needed sustenance from anything but the souls of the dead.

"I've been following you for a couple of weeks now." Kikyo explained. "You're moving so quickly that catching up was becoming difficult, at least until you slowed down. The last village you were at told me of your condition and offered food for when I caught up to all of you."

"Thanks, Kikyo." Inuyasha said as he chowed down. Shippo followed suit.

Sango and Miroku were hesitant, but the pains in their stomach pushed them to eat.

"Kagome is with your bother, Sesshomaru." Kikyo explained bluntly, the surprise of the news causing Inuyasha to momentarily choke on some semi-swallowed food.

"She's what?" Inuyasha asked for clarification.

"Yes, I was surprised as well, but she is with him." Kikyo nodded to Inuyasha and then turned to the other two to explain more. "I was traveling in the Southern Lands when I ran across Kagome. She did not recognize me and told me that she had lost all of her memories. After a quick examination, I concluded that she had been placed under a very powerful curse. At that time, Kagura was taking her to Naraku and even threatened a child in order to get Kagome to come with her."

"Kagome… is with Naraku?" Sango asked in horror.

"I don't think so." Kikyo shook her head, though she wasn't certain. "Your brother was chasing after them. I sense that he had no intention of allowing Kagome to fall into Naraku's hands. I am confident that she is fine and with him even now. Anyways, I must warn you that the curse placed upon Kagome right now is dangerous. I know you will hunt them down still, but be careful on how you try to jog her memory. If the issue is forced carelessly, it is possible that things will backfire."

"Backfire how?" Miroku asked.

"I cannot say. I assume it is Naraku that has placed this curse on Kagome, so whatever contingency he has placed on the removal of that curse will not be good." Kikyo explained and sighed. "It could be anything from permanently removing her spiritual powers, to stripping her body of her soul, to the full corruption of her heart. That type of curse has to be removed the correct way. If it is not, I can only imagine something horrible will befall Kagome and there won't be any undoing it."

"Kikyo, did you come all this way to tell us this?" Inuyasha asked curiously.

"I did." Kikyo nodded. "If I am correct about Naraku being behind this, I believe Kagome needs to be protected at all costs. Whatever his plan is, he needs Kagome weakened and he's got that."

"I ger why Naraku would want Kagome." Inuyasha leaned against the wall of the hut, arms crossed and expression filled with frustration. "But why is she with Sesshomaru? My brother hates humans."

"That is a question I cannot answer." Kikyo said as she stood up. "He cared enough about her condition to consider the suggestion I gave him. I told him to keep the sacred jewel near her at all times. It is possible that their power could help lessen the strength of the curse, as long as they stay pure. If corrupted, they may only strengthen it. Normally, I'd say Kagome is incorruptible. With her memories gone, I cannot confidently say that anymore and I fear that is part of Naraku's plan."

"Thank you for all of this information, Lady Kikyo." Miroku said gratefully. "And the food."

"Yes, thank you." Sango added. "Thanks to you, we can probably get our first decent sleep in weeks."

"I am glad I could help. I will keep an eye out for more and inform you of any changes I come across." Kikyo moved to leave the hut. "Good luck and get yourselves some rest."

"Goodbye Kikyo." Inuyasha said his farewell and leaned his head against the wall to sleep. The others were surprised at Inuyasha's willingness to just let Kikyo walk out of there. As she left, Sango and Miroku looked to each other confused. Only Shippo accepted it and tried going back to sleep.

"I'm surprised you did not ask her to stay, Inuyasha." Miroku said.

"Why would I do that?" Inuyasha asked, opening his eyes again.

"She could help us find Kagome quicker. She can sense the jewel." Sango explained. "You're always running off to see her, so we figured you'd jump at the chance for her to join while Kagome is absent."

"No." Inuyasha laid down and turned to face the wall. There wasn't anything more said and that concerned Sango and Miroku even more. Ever since Kagome vanished, Inuyasha had been acting strange. They all wanted to find their friend, but something more was on Inuyasha's mind. He ate less, allowed them to rest more and was always lost in thought. His pushy personality was practically gone and any time Shippo played one of his jokes on him, Inuyasha would just ignore it.

With nothing more to say, everyone turned over to go to sleep. Though they definitely had things to worry about in Kagome's absence and Inuyasha's behavior, they needed to get some rest. Thanks to Kikyo's help, they could recover from a lack of food and get a good night's sleep.

.

.

Six months passed since Kagome lost her memory and ended up in Sesshomaru's custody. She was used to the castle and the demons inside. While some still hated her, many were warming up and chose to understand her more. Most of these demons were ones that were already used to Rin though, so it helped ease their transition to liking Kagome as well. Even Jaken was proving to enjoy Kagome's company more often. There were times that he monitored Kagome's training while Sesshomaru was busy with other affairs. They talked and Kagome started understanding the little imp as a truly loyal servant to Sesshomaru with a few more insecurity issues than you'd expect him to have.

While Sesshomaru was keeping to himself, dealing with the political affairs of his territory and whatever else came his way, he pushed Kagome into daily four to five-hour training sessions. She was never being given a day off, which meant she was learning a lot, but her human body was succumbing to the expected fatigue. Her muscles ached horribly. She was in constant pain and was feeling ill on a daily basis, but was so terrifying of telling Sesshomaru what was going on that she pushed through it.

Kagome was in the middle of training with Yukino by her side. She had learned that Yukino was a wolf demon that joined Sesshomaru's staff when her pack was slaughtered by humans. She was so grateful to him that she made sure to work hard every day and kept a smile on while she did it. On this day, however, there was no smile. Yukino was worried. Kagome could barely lift the bow. Her breathing was terribly labored and she was sweating up a river. Yukino had tried to get her to take the day off, but since Kagome knew she needed permission from Sesshomaru, she refused to consider it.

"Kagome, you're going to hurt yourself." Yukino said as she snatched the bow away.

"I have to keep going." Kagome said weakly, coughing into her cut up hand. The bow string had worn her hand down from the daily use. The skin on her hand was red and numb.

"No!" Yukino yelled at her. "If Lord Sesshomaru wants to get mad at this, then I will take the blame. You are not training today. Now, take yourself back inside and go to bed before you get worse."

"You're going to get use both in trouble." Kagome said as she reached for the bow.

"I don't care." Yukino replied and pulled the bow from Kagome's reach.

"Is that so?" A familiar masculine voice spoke up from behind the two. While Kagome expected Sesshomaru to have caught them fighting, it wasn't the demon lord. Instead, it was Sesshomaru's Captain of the Guard Alwin. Their first encounter was when Lady Tōran was here and needed escorted safely back to her own lands. Things weren't so calm between Kagome and Sesshomaru then. Alwin is the Captain of Sesshomaru's guard and one of his most trusted and powerful demons.

"Captain Alwin?" Yukino questioned his presence before speaking frankly. "I apologize for the candor, but Kagome is a human working at a demon's pace, and she had been for a couple of months. Her body is breaking down. She's had a fever for four days now and can barely pick up her bow. Unless the plan is to literally work her to death, which I highly doubt due to Rin's fondness of her, she needs a break."

Alwin stepped up to Yukino and stared at her before leaning to the side to examine Kagome's current condition. He could feel the heat coming off of her and knew that was unnatural for a human. He stood straight again and nodded to Yukino before walking to Kagome. Out of fear, Kagome tried to push herself to a proper posture, but that minor amount of stress sent her over the edge. Kagome gasped, her body shook, and her mind went blank before she passed out. Luckily, Yukino and Alwin caught her.

"Get her to bed." Alwin ordered Yukino, who smiled and nodded. "I'll inform Lord Sesshomaru."

"Thank you, Alwin." Yukino kissed his cheek before picking Kagome up and taking her back to the castle.

Alwin rushed off toward Sesshomaru's current location, which was the opposite side of the castle in the courtyard with Rin and Miss Jukudo. As he arrived, Rin was reading off a story she wrote about their adventures outside of the castle. She was proud of how far she was coming with her reading and writing and this was one of the few times that Lord Sesshomaru had time to witness it. Out of respect, even though Sesshomaru noticed his presence, Alwin stayed silent and listened intently to Rin's story.

"And when I woke up, I was right where the wolves left me, but I was okay. I stood up and saw Lord Sesshomaru walking away. I knew he helped me and decided right then that I was going to travel with him forever, even if Jaken didn't like it. The end." Rin finished with a big smile and looked to Sesshomaru, awaiting any sort of praise he may have given. Miss Jukudo did the same.

"That was very well done, Rin. You've come a long way." Sesshomaru nodded to the young girl.

"Really?" Rin's eyes brightened and she turned to Miss Jukudo. "Did you hear that?"

"Yes, I did. I agree with him. You're doing very well." Miss Jukudo smiled down at Rin.

"Even I must agree, your telling of that story is very entertaining." Alwin suddenly stepped in to give praise as well. "I am excited to hear what story you tell next. Do you know which one it will be?"

"You wanna hear another?" Rin asked and Alwin nodded. Rin pondered for a moment, tapping her cheek before running off. "I'll get started on it right away."

Miss Jukudo chuckled at Rin's excitement. She was in a good mood today, which some attributed to her knowing Kagome was not well. Unfortunately, Sesshomaru was not aware of this. So, when Alwin stepped up, he eyed Miss Jukudo as a gesture for her to leave them be. She bowed and dismissed herself, following after Rin to help her with the next story she wanted to tell.

"What is it?" Sesshomaru asked, knowing something was wrong.

"The human girl, Kagome." Alwin started, looking back to make sure Miss Jukudo was gone before he continued. "She's very ill. Apparently, she's been training herself to hard. Yukino described her ethic as a human working at the pace of a demon and claimed Kagome was breaking her body down. From what I could tell in the brief observation I made, Yukino is right. Kagome looks pale, thin, and weak. Her temperature is higher than a normal human usually is and when she tried to stand too quickly, she fainted. I fear she may need a human doctor to help her with these ailments."

Sesshomaru listened attentively to Alwin's report. He had not been paying much attention to Kagome in the last couple of weeks and it may have caused a problem. He sighed and stood up.

"Is there a reason she was worked to this level?" Sesshomaru asked.

"Lord Sesshomaru…" Alwin raised an eyebrow at him as if he should already know the answer.

"I see." Sesshomaru closed his eyes, mentally kicking himself. His orders to her kept her pushing herself. She was to train every day until he said otherwise. He really should watch his wording. "Thank you for bringing this to my attention. I will take care of it."

"Of course, my lord." Alwin bowed.

Sesshomaru stood up and waved a hand to dismiss Alwin as he walked past and back into the castle. He made his way toward Kagome's room and opened the door. Inside, Yukino was using a cool cloth to wipe down Kagome's forehead. Kagome opened her eyes and looked over to see him. She immediately tried to sit up, but Yukino stopped her and pushed her back down onto the bed.

"Do not get up." Sesshomaru said, reinforcing Yukino's gesture.

"Excuse me, Lord Sesshomaru." Yukino set the cloth over Kagome's forehead before standing up and dismissing herself politely. She closed the door behind her and waited outside.

Sesshomaru stepped over to Kagome's side and sat down, legs crossed about a foot from her. He examined her condition to the best of his ability. Everything Alwin said was accurate and that annoyed him more. Kagome did as she was told and his negligence caused her to get sick.

"L-Lord Sesshomaru?" Kagome's strained voice brought him from his thoughts.

"Yes?" He replied, looking at her.

"Are you okay?" Kagome asked in real concern about him. "You seem distracted."

"I am fine. I am here to check on your condition." Sesshomaru explained. "I was informed that you were working at a pace most humans could not. While that is an impressive feat, you're ill because of it."

"I just didn't want to make you mad." Kagome explained. She suddenly inhaled sharply, as if she were having trouble breathing. She clenched her jaw and her body shook in pain.

"Kagome, your health is also something to be taken into consideration." Sesshomaru told her, the words he spoke shocking both of them. Kagome's eyes opened wide and she turned to him in surprise, which only caused him to sigh. "You're going to worry Rin and Yukino. Your training now has to stop. If anything happens and I must leave, you're now unfit to travel. Rin has already stated that many here will not treat you well if I am absent and now, I am stuck here until you're better."

Kagome smiled at him, her eyes expressing a bit of joy. "I know you're frustrated at me, but all I can hear is that you care enough to not put me in that situation and I really appreciate that."

"That's what you heard?" Sesshomaru questioned. He'd deny, but what was the point. Humans had a habit of hearing what they wanted to hear. Rin was strong proof of that.

"I know it's not what you mean, but…" Kagome's words were interrupted by a bolt of pain shooting up her right arm. She clenched her jaw again, a couple of tears falling from her eyes.

"Are you ill or injured?" Sesshomaru questioned, her behavior pointing more at injury.

"I think it's more injury than illness. I do feel very weak, but my body needs to recover from all of the training. I haven't really been giving it a break." Kagome explained.

"I will be calling upon a healer to come take care of this." Sesshomaru said as he absentmindedly grabbed the now warm cloth off Kagome's forehead. He rinsed it in the cold water and rung it out before folding and returning it to where it had been. "I do not know whether she is skilled in human anatomy, but she owes me a favor and will try. Otherwise, you may be bedridden for a while."

Sesshomaru expected some sort of reply from her, but when he did not get one, he saw that she was staring at him like he had something weird on his face. Suddenly, she called for Yukino, who came into the room quickly. Sesshomaru looked back at Yukino and then returned his attention to Kagome.

"Um… Yes?" Yukino said confused.

"He's scaring me." Kagome lifted the blanket above her nose to hide.

"U-Um. Lord Sesshomaru… A-Are you… scaring her?" Yukino asked with an amount of confusion that left them both in an awkward position. Sesshomaru didn't seem to know what he did.

"Possibly. It is a common occurrence." Sesshomaru nodded.

"He fixed my cloth." Kagome said.

"Wait, what?" Yukino replied in disbelief and hopped over to the other side of Kagome's bed. "Proof. Now." Yukino touched the cloth and noticed it was newly cooled. Both of the women looked to Sesshomaru, who closed his eyes and stood up from his spot at Kagome's side.

"I'll make sure to avoid aiding you again." Sesshomaru said passive aggressively, turned around, and moved to walk out of the room as soon as possible. Kagome called out for him to wait, sitting up to rapidly and regretting it immediately as another sharp pain shot through her body. Sesshomaru looked over his shoulder at the two as Yukino tried to settle Kagome down. "I'll contact the healer soon."


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter Ten: Fatherhood

When Lord Sesshomaru of the Western Lands calls upon you, it is a dangerous idea to not answer his summon as quickly as possible. When Aikanna of the Sea was notified of his request, she followed the messenger back to the castle in that moment. It was a three day journey to get from her location in the Western Lands all the way back to the castle, but they made good time. Upon her arrival, Sesshomaru, Yukino, and Alwin were waiting in the courtyard and greeted her.

"Aikanna." Sesshomaru nodded his head in respect.

"Lord Sesshomaru." Aikanna replied and bowed politely. "You are in need of my assistance?"

"I am. I appreciate your quick response." Sesshomaru said and motioned for her to follow him. "A human woman I am in custody of has broken her body through demon levels of training. I know you do not heal humans often, but I am hoping your natural skill will get her back on her feet."

"I see. A human woman?" Aikanna curiously questioned him. "It was hard to believe you brought a human child into your protection, so it is difficult to believe you've brought an adult. At least a child will learn to obey."

"Her presence is required to lure out Naraku." Sesshomaru explained.

"The half-demon whose filth crosses the land every so often?" Aikanna asked and Sesshomaru nodded in confirmation. "I see. What does this human woman have to do with that abomination?"

"He has recently placed a powerful curse on her, causing her to lose all memory of who she is." Sesshomaru stopped as he came to Kagome's door and turned back to Aikanna. "She has recovered a small number of memories, but nothing substantial or clear enough to remind her of who she is."

"Understood. I am lucky that I spend most of my time in the water." Aikanna explained with an element of pride. "Little for Naraku to corrupt out in the ocean, so I am safe from his scourge."

"Which is good. I'd rather not have our most powerful healer harmed by Naraku." Sesshomaru said and then slid Kagome's door open. He stepped to the side so Aikanna could pass him by. Aikanna stepped into the room and momentarily observed the sleeping human before walking over. Aikanna sat on the edge of Kagome's futon and waved a hand over Kagome's body. Kagome must have sensed her presence because she opened her eyes. For a moment, the two watched each other.

"You're beautiful." Kagome muttered out pained words.

Aikanna was indeed a beautiful female demon. She had long sky-blue hair that fell down past her knees and seemed to glow with magic of some sort. Her eyes were a pale golden color and her skin was clear and as soft looking as clouds. Her clothing was something out of Greek mythos, leaving little to the imagination, but colored as white as snow with elegant gold decorations shaped like starfish and seahorses. Hanging from a long chain around her neck was a golden vial shaped like a teardrop. It was filled with some sort of water-looking concoction that glowed similar to the way Aikanna's hair did.

"Thank you." Aikanna replied. She appreciated the sincerity, but she had received the compliment so many times in her hundreds of years of life that it really did nothing for her anymore.

With no more talking, Aikanna began her examination. There wasn't much to surprise her. With what little she knew about Kagome's situation it was obvious that she was just exhausted and her body needed to recover from long hours of intense training. Aikanna pulled up the tear drop shaped charm and twisted pulled out a small cork. She had Kagome drink a couple drops of the liquid inside.

"It tastes sweet." Kagome said. "Thank you."

"I only gave you a small amount. It's a powerful potion that heals demons quickly, so it should be even better for a human. You've torn muscles and exhausted yourself. Work too much harder, you could kill yourself." Aikanna explained as she sealed the charm again and walked over to Sesshomaru, speaking seductively to the demon. "If you need anything, don't be afraid to summon me again, my lord. I'm sure I can be useful in more ways than just a healer." Aikanna tapped Sesshomaru's chest and then made her way out of the room. "Until then, keep me on your mind. You'll be on mine."

" _Why must she always leave that way?"_ Sesshomaru thought and closed Kagome's door between him and the departing demon. Aikanna would be escorted from the castle by those he already gave orders to, so he had no reason to worry about where she'd end up. "Stupid woman."

"She seems to like you." Kagome said and sat up without much problem.

"She likes my title. She would flirt with my Father the same way." Sesshomaru said and turned back to Kagome, observing some quick changes he was seeing in her. She was no longer pale, nor was she wincing in pain every ten seconds. "Good. It seems to have helped."

"Yes. I still feel weak, but the pain has lessened a lot." Kagome explained, moving her arms around to see how much pain she was still in. It was more like soreness now. "It worked so quickly. She's impressive."

"It is a demon healing remedy." Sesshomaru explained and sat down on the cushion beside Kagome's bed. "You've been in and out of consciousness for a few days now. You'll need to eat soon."

"Lord Sesshomaru, I hope you know how much I appreciate your taking care of me." Kagome said, but refused to look at him out of fear of offending him. "I know you don't like humans that are not Rin, but my time here has not been horrible and I do feel safe. Rin says that being safe is important and that she never felt safe in the human village she used to live. It wasn't until you that she felt safe."

"Do you have a point?" Sesshomaru questioned.

"Yes. Thank you for making sure I am safe." Kagome turned to him and smiled wide.

"U-… You're welcome." Sesshomaru cleared his throat. For a brief moment, Kagome's smile raised something within him that he wasn't used to. He couldn't tell what it was, but there was a warmth in his chest that caught him off guard. Her appreciation sparked a tinge of joy. Luckily for the stoic demon lord, the feeling faded as quickly as blowing out a candle. "When you're well, you will continue your training with your mortality in min-…"

Sesshomaru was suddenly cut off by the sound of many footsteps coming up the hallway and multiple familiar scents being carried over the air. He looked back to the door as it swung open. Jaken and Rin both hurried into the room with Miss Jukudo, Alwin, and Yukino right behind the two.

"Kagome! You're awake and you can sit up!" Rin hurried over to give Kagome a hug, but was stopped when the back of her collar was suddenly grabbed. She looked back to Sesshomaru.

"She is not at one hundred percent. Careful." Sesshomaru warned.

"I will." Rin said and decided to just sit by Kagome's side.

The other demons in the room noticed Sesshomaru's worry about Kagome's condition and so did Kagome. Yukino and Alwin looked to each other curiously, wondering exactly what was going on in their Lord's head to suddenly be so careful of Kagome. Miss Jukudo moved to the corner of the room and leaned against the wall quietly, watching whatever scene was about to unfold before her. Jaken just stared at Sesshomaru, jaw dropped and now worried that his lord's sanity had been affected in some way. When Sesshomaru noticed this, he glared at the little imp.

"What?" Sesshomaru asked annoyed.

"Nothing, Milord. It's just… I dare not say." Jaken sighed and shook his head.

"Spit it out." Sesshomaru demanded.

"I think he's curious about your showing so much care for the human woman." Miss Jukudo spoke up bluntly. "There's no reason to start being kind to her now. Just because she trained herself half-to-death, doesn't mean she deserves any special treatment from you, Lord Sesshomaru. Don't waste your time with filth. You're treating her like she's more than just a toy for Rin to play with."

"That would be because she's not a toy. She's a guest of Lord Sesshomaru's." Yukino snapped at Miss Jukudo. "And it's about time you get with the picture. I am so sick of hearing your whiny bullshit every single time Kagome's name comes up. You're like a jealous little girl begging for attention."

"Jealous?" Miss Jukudo retorted angrily. "Of some human?"

"Obviously! Otherwise, you wouldn't feel the need to insult her every chance you get." Yukino said. "People don't attack what doesn't threaten them."

"I think you two should calm down." Alwin took a step away from the women.

"I wish Lord Sesshomaru would just get rid of you already." Yukino shouted angrily at Miss Jukudo, but Yukino wasn't getting any sort of reaction from her. "You treat Kagome the same way you treat any new female that comes to the castle. You hate not being the only pair of tits in the room and everyone can see it. Why did you even come here? You could have stood out in the hall or done something else while I watched over Rin during her visit with Kagome. Instead, you choose to come along just to make everyone uncomfortable. It's inexcusable and pitiful. Next time, just go back to your room and wait there until someone calls you. At least then you don't have to act so fake."

"Like you and your secret galivanting around with Captain Alwin?" Miss Jukudo suddenly said, like she thought it would get Yukino and Alwin in trouble.

"Wh-What?" Yukino said in shock, the wind taken out of her sails.

"Do you really think you're that good at hiding it?" Miss Jukudo chuckled. "You and Captain Alwin have been hiding your relationship for months now. I don't know how many times I've seen you two running off behind the shed in the garden or locking the store room door to be alone."

"Can you guys shut up?" Kagome suddenly said. Everyone looked to her and were surprised by the look of complete annoyance on her face. She rolled her eyes. "Yukino's relationship with Captain Alwin is honestly none of your business. If it hasn't been impacting their work, there is no reason for you to bring it up. And whether you like it or not, she's also right about the way you treat me. However, I couldn't care less about you or your opinion of me. I will be here for as long as Lord Sesshomaru allows it. Now, why don't all of you show some him some respect and apologize for this childish performance?"

"Y-You dare talk to me like that?" Miss Jukudo retorted, but a firm glare from Sesshomaru stopped her in her tracks. "I… Uh…" Miss Jukudo sighed and bowed politely. "I apologize, Lord Sesshomaru."

"Yes, Kagome is right." Yukino bowed as well. "I shouldn't have snapped the way I did. I hope you can forgive me for this foolishness, Lord Sesshomaru. It will never happen again. I'm sorry."

"It's fine. Leave." Sesshomaru waved them off. "And I do not care about your relationship with Alwin."

Everyone except Rin left. Jaken was going to stay, but Sesshomaru motioned for him to leave too. He really did not want to deal with the imp after that cat fight. Once the door was shut, Sesshomaru stayed silent, eyes closed, and waited. Once their footsteps were far off, he sighed.

"Wow, Kagome. That was amazing." Rin said impressed.

"How are you feeling now?" Sesshomaru asked, finally opening his eyes and looking at Kagome. "You seem to be feeling even better, as shown by that rather intriguing performance just now."

"I'm really tired of Jukudo. Why do you keep her around?" Kagome asked.

"She's first in line to become my mate if I do not choose one on time." Sesshomaru explained.

"What?" Rin asked out of worry, something both Kagome and Sesshomaru noticed. "But you can't marry Miss Jukudo. She teaches me stuff, but she's a mean person an-…"

"Rin. You are a child and this matter is beyond your understanding." Sesshomaru scolded.

"But if… I don't… You… can't." Rin suddenly began sobbing.

Rin stood up and ran out of the room without giving them a chance to stop her. Sesshomaru didn't try, but Kagome wanted to. She just didn't know how. She understood what was on Rin's mind, at least she thought she did. Kagome sighed and looked to Sesshomaru with a concerned expression.

"You do know what that was about, right?" Kagome asked him.

"I have no clue. Rin is a child. She has no reason to deal with matters like this." Sesshomaru crossed his arms. "You're both human, so can I assume you understand what is going through her mind?"

"I think I can guess." Kagome took a deep breath and faced him. "Rin looks up to you and not just as a protector or the guy she lives in the house of. You're like a Father to her. I know you're aware of this, so how would you feel if your Father decided to be with a woman you didn't like?"

"Like my Father mating with Inuyasha's Mother?" Sesshomaru's expression dulled, as if the fact should have been obvious to her. "It disgusted me. However, I still had no choice in the matter."

"That's what I think Rin is worried about. She's young and sees you as her Father, so if you get into a relationship with someone, she will want to see them as her Mother." Kagome explained as politely as possible, knowing this subject wasn't the best one to talk to him about. "Rin isn't someone who wants a Mom that hates her. She wants to be loved, especially by you, so ignoring those dreams of hers will crush her spirit. I know the political part of it is not her business, but the family part… Well, I guess that depends on how you actually see Rin. Just because she wants to call you Dad, doesn't mean you want to call her daughter. I think you should make those intentions clear to her sooner rather than later. Don't let her hold onto a dream that will never come true. It's… cruel."

Sesshomaru was silent for a few moments. While his eyes faced Kagome, making her feel really awkward in the silence, they were unfocused as he thought on what she told him. What exactly was Rin to him? He allowed the girl to follow him around and protected her, but had never thought of her as more than a companion at most times. Was there something more there? Should there be?

"Rin is…" Sesshomaru began, but couldn't finish the sentence.

"You don't know, do you?" Kagome asked.

"I don't." He answered.

"What do you know then?"

Sesshomaru had to think again. The room went silent. Kagome watched him, but tried not to stare too much. When Sesshomaru was deep in thought, Kagome always found herself fascinated by him. She couldn't figure out what her thoughts toward him actually were. It was so confusing. There were times that she hated and feared him. At other times, she enjoyed his company and cared about him. She wasn't able to make up her mind.

"I know I ensure her safety, shelter, and feed her." Sesshomaru said.

"You also make sure she knows how to read and write and listen to her stories." Kagome added.

"How did we end up on this conversation?" Sesshomaru brought his hand to pinch the bridge of his nose. Thinking about this was giving him a bit of a headache. He was not fond of the current conversation.

"Rin ran out of the room because sh-."

"Enough." Sesshomaru waved his hand. "You're bothersome."

"I-I'm sorry. I was just trying t-."

"Stop. Talking." Sesshomaru demanded.

Kagome didn't say another word. She watched Sesshomaru in silence. He was deep in thought again and that worried her. Had she just angered him? He didn't look angry. In fact, he looked concerned. Their conversation bothered him and she could tell. Kagome sighed, catching his attention.

"You can trust me." Kagome told him, even though she knew she wasn't supposed to keep talking anymore. "I know I'm not a demon and that we're not really friends, but I'd like to be…"

Sesshomaru stood up and glared down at Kagome. The intensity of the anger in his eyes caused her to scoot back away from him, her heart racing. When Sesshomaru saw this, he calmed down. Saying nothing more, Sesshomaru turned away and walked to the door. There was a moment he hesitated, not wanting to leave the room while things were tense, but why did he care? He left and slammed the door behind him anyway.

" _What the hell is this?"_ Sesshomaru asked himself as he moved rapidly through the hallways of his own castle. He soon found himself outside in the courtyard, heading for the front gate. He didn't stop there. He jumped over the tall stone wall that surrounded his castle and ran off toward the forest at the valley's edge. He kept going even farther until finally he came to a clearing and slid to a stop. He finally felt like he gained enough distance from Kagome. He brought his hand to his face. His fangs were bare, his eyes flashing red out of anger. _"What is happening to me? I should not be feeling this way around a stupid human. She's driving me crazy."_

Sesshomaru took a few very deep breaths and listened calmly to the world around him. It was his way of meditating. He began to focus his mind on the problem. Over the last few days, any time he was near Kagome, something happened to him. The usual annoyance he held toward her presence was gone. The first thing that was strange was the guilt. He noticed it when he found out she was sick. He felt guilty enough to summon the West's most notable healer to ensure that Kagome was well. It was easy to use Rin's happiness as an excuse, but that could only last for so long. He even took part in longer conversations with her. He let her give him advice and let pieces of his history be known to her. The things she said about Rin struck harder than normal and he was considering taking the path of fatherhood. It was all happening way too fast for him.

" _Damn it. Stupid woman. She talks too much."_ Sesshomaru thought, cursing his situation as he forced himself to calm down. _"Is she starting to get to me? I can't let that happen. I need to figure this out."_


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter Eleven: A False Friendship

Another week went by. Kagome was fully recovered by the end of that night, but she didn't dare leave her room. In fact, neither did Rin. The two ended up having sleepovers for the week because Sesshomaru had suddenly left the castle and didn't take them with him. Sesshomaru's sudden absence left them lost and worried. He said nothing to anyone about a trip. With Miss Jukudo angry at Kagome, Rin didn't trust the idea of Kagome being alone, at least that was the excuse Rin was using. Kagome could tell that Rin wasn't able to sleep alone with Sesshomaru gone. It was heartbreaking watching the girl suffer through the fear of Sesshomaru's absence. Rin wanted to go look for him, but everyone knew it was safer to stay home. So, she just kept by Kagome's side and tried to stay distracted.

Yukino and Alwin brought them food and would talk with them about anything they could think of to pass the time. Even though the couple promised Kagome and Rin that they could safely leave their room, they didn't dare try again. The first time they attempted was two days ago. They wanted to have a bath, but once they were finished, their clothes were stolen and they had to walk through the castle nude. It was a childish prank and one Kagome foolishly followed Rin's lead on. Of course, the few guards that roamed the halls came across them and had no problem cornering Kagome. It was a thoughtless idea for them to walk through the halls nude and Kagome understood that now. She hadn't understood it before because it was Rin that said it was okay. It's a little more acceptable for a child to run from the bath to their bedroom naked than it was an adult. It was an awfully embarrassing moment.

On the night of the seventh day of Sesshomaru's absence, Kagome finally felt cooped up enough that she left her room. Rin was sound asleep, so she made her way to the courtyard to sit on one of the stone benches for some fresh air. The cool breeze and the sight of the flowers at night was calming. A few fire flies were flying around the area, dimly lighting small pieces of the garden.

When a strange buzzing slithered through her mind, Kagome stood up. It felt like someone was watching her and her mind shot back to the first time someone was watching her in this garden. Her eyes immediately looked over to the tree. The flowers that their previous visitor had completely destroyed were slowly growing back and she couldn't see anything standing there again. The strange sensation was still there, but she couldn't pinpoint it. She looked around the garden, her heart racing. She wanted to call out, but wouldn't dare this late at night. She was probably just imagining things anyway.

Kagome decided it was time to go back inside. She backed away from the table as a gust of wind caught her attention. She swung toward the front gate to see what was there, but saw nothing. Something was watching her and it terrified her to know she couldn't see them. She began backing away from the front gate when her back met something warm and hard. She tensed, breathing heavily, and slowly turned around to see what was there. Her eyes widened when two golden eyes stared down at her. She jumped away and went to scream, but her mind caught up with itself. Instead of screaming, she hugged him.

"Lord Sesshomaru!" Kagome threw her arms around the familiar demon's waist. "I'm so sorry. I was scared. I kept sensing something and I couldn't see it. I didn't think it would be you."

"Release me." Sesshomaru demanded. Kagome instantly obliged.

"I'm sorry." Kagome bowed, but then surprised him by stomping her foot. "But you scared me and we were so worried about you! You just left with no word." She threw up a hand. "And before you say anything, I understand that you have no obligation to tell me anything, but that does not make me or Rin worry any less when, in our eyes, you suddenly disappear and we're helpless to find you. We didn't know how long you planned to be gone or whether you were hurt. It's scary not knowing."

"Are you done?" Sesshomaru asked uncaringly.

Kagome blinked at him. "I don't know why I'm surprised by that reply. It's not like I expected something else. God, I am so stupid." Kagome sighed and nodded. "Yes, Lord Sesshomaru. I'm done."

"Good. Now go to bed." Sesshomaru ordered. "We'll be traveling again in the morning."

"Rin will be happy you returned." Kagome said. "She's been sleeping in my room. Apparently, she can't sleep when you're gone. She doesn't trust the demons here not to hurt her while she sleeps."

"I see." Sesshomaru said, taking note of that. "It'll be dealt with."

Kagome stared silently at him. He stared back, wondering what was going through her mind. This overwhelmingly disappointed look came in her eyes and he narrowed his in irritation at her. Kagome stepped up to him and placed her hand on his armor, right over his heart. At first, Sesshomaru was going to stop her, but something about the action intrigued him, so he let it happen.

"Sometimes I hope I never get my memories back." Kagome told him.

"And why is that?" Sesshomaru asked in honest curiosity.

"Because I fear for Rin." Kagome replied bluntly, tapping her nail on his armor. "I fear that sweet human girl, who loves you with every ounce of her little being, will never receive the love she deserves from you. That is a tragic and painful existence. If I remember and I return to my old life, Rin will be back to Jaken picking on her, Miss Jukudo using her, and her wondering if she's at all important to you."

"That's enough." Sesshomaru said angrily.

"And the dumbest part…" Kagome continued, expecting to be hit as she poked at his chest, this time right above the armor so he'd feel it. "…is that I care about you too, and I don't know why."

Kagome stepped back from him, bowed politely, and dismissed herself. She walked back into the castle, ignoring the piercing eyes drilling into her back. Sesshomaru said nothing more and let the woman leave. Once she was gone, he looked up to the starry sky and took a deep breath. He thought back to a recent conversation, one that took place in the last week, deep in the forests surrounding his lands.

" _Explain what is happening to me." Sesshomaru yelled at an old demon, deep in the forest. "I have never had a human affect me in this manner before. It is infuriating."_

" _Lord Sesshomaru," the old demon signed, pulling a smoking pipe from his lips, "I have told you before, while you have your heart hardened to the world around you, it's not dead."_

" _What does that even mean?" Sesshomaru shouted angrily._

" _Damn it, boy. It means that you're your Father's son, whether you like it or not." The old man stood on the stairs to a small wooden temple behind him and looked down to Sesshomaru. "Your anger toward humans did not come until your Father chose a second mate. You have used that event long ago as an excuse to treat humans, and demons alike, like they are worthless and mean nothing to you."_

" _They are." Sesshomaru retorted._

" _And yet, here you are again, asking the same sort of question." The old man laughed and shook his head at Sesshomaru. "Your stubbornness will leave you empty. The child, Rin, you care deeply for the girl, but do not know how to express such feeling. You think caring for someone will make you weak and vulnerable. You're not wrong, but in our previous conversations you have also admitted that when she is in harms way, you've noticed yourself work harder to ensure her safety."_

" _I have." Sesshomaru nodded._

" _And now you tell me you wish for her happiness as well?" The old man laughed and showed off a large smile filled with years of wisdom. "You might as well let her call you Dad. Even with only what you've told me, it's clear you have already taken the path, but are in denial about the title you receive."_

" _Let her call me Dad?" Sesshomaru was disgusted at first, but that demeanor calmed. His face softened as he thought of the idea and then he rubbed the back of his head. "What if I fail her?"_

" _You will. Parent's always do, but the important part is to try your best." The old man sat back down and began smoking on the pipe again. "Now, as for the second woman… Kagome?"_

" _What about her?" Sesshomaru asked._

" _Was she in heat?"_

" _What?"_

" _Humans and their… cycles work differently than a demon's." The man began to explain. "It lasts a little longer, about a day or two, but the fertility lasts up to a week. While a demon's time lasts for a couple of hours and is much more primal and physical, the time of female humans can only be described as… kinder. Female demons make a man aggressive, sometimes violent and possibly even forceful. Female humans release an aura that acts on the mind, making it feel at peace, more open, loving."_

" _Loving?" Sesshomaru hissed. "Manipulative."_

" _Ha. My boy, it is not like they can help it." The old man laughed at him. "That is like blaming a male demon for taking a female when their time is happening. Demon women leave for a few hours every month for good reason. It is safer for everyone that way. While many men, such as yourself, can control those instincts, there are just as many who cannot and it causes way too many problems."_

" _I know all of this. What of the girl?" Sesshomaru returned the subject to where it should be._

" _If she is in heat, avoid her for up to a week. Stay out of the castle."_

" _Why should I not kick her out like I do the female demons?" Sesshomaru asked._

" _Kagome's time of mating does not cause violence." The old man sighed in frustration. "Punishing her because of your refusal to deal with being kind to her is not an honorable way of behaving. While I know you've decided to hate humans, you've not been one to act dishonorably. I don't expect that to change."_

Sesshomaru came back from his thoughts and looked to his castle. He stayed away a lot longer than he had to and it may have hurt Rin. The old man told him to stay away for the week that Kagome was in her prime, but that had started a couple of days before he left. He should have returned before now. Sesshomaru sighed and returned to his room in the castle. He'll see Rin in the morning.

" _At least she's out of that phase now."_ Sesshomaru thought.

When the morning came, Rin and Kagome were instructed to get ready as normal. Sesshomaru had returned, delighting the young girl and they were going to travel again. Rin always preferred traveling and going on adventures with Sesshomaru. Once they were ready, they rushed outside where Jaken and Ah'Un were waiting patiently for them. Sesshomaru had yet to show himself, but Rin was very excited to see him return. The group waited quietly for a few moments before Rin noticed him.

"Lord Sesshomaru!" Rin cheered.

"Good morning, Rin." Sesshomaru replied.

Rin gasped, her eyes shining with glee. "Good morning to you too!" Sesshomaru normally just nodded at her, so to get an actual greeting was an exciting and happy development.

Kagome watched the exchange until Sesshomaru's eyes met her own. She looked away almost immediately, still upset about the night before. The aversion did not go unnoticed, but Sesshomaru shrugged it off as something unimportant and led the group off toward the North this time.

Hours went by without much conversation. Rin and Kagome rode on Ah'Un's back while Jaken led the two headed demon behind Sesshomaru. There were a couple times Rin tried to create a conversation with Kagome, but nothing stuck. Rin decided to leave Kagome alone for a while because there was obviously something wrong. Instead of pushing her, Rin began talking with Jaken instead. The mood Kagome was another thing Sesshomaru noticed, thought he kept silent about it.

Soon, it was late afternoon and the group decided to take a break. Ah'Un took advantage of no one being on his back for a while and rested in the shade of a large tree. Jaken and Rin went off to the river to catch some fish to eat. Kagome moved away from the group and sat on a small hill, over looking a nice view of the forest and Southern Mountain they had tried visiting a while back. Out of everyone, Kagome was not expecting Sesshomaru step up beside her and take a seat. When she realized it was him, she tensed up and her heart started to race. Was she in trouble again?

"You've been quiet." Sesshomaru said, making a calm observation.

"I haven't had much to say." Kagome replied, bringing her knees to her chest. "I think I talk too much."

There was a small tug at the corner of Sesshomaru's lips and a soft snorting sound. Kagome looked to him curiously and could have sworn she saw a moment of joy in his eyes. It faded quickly and she didn't dare ask about it. In reality, Sesshomaru had almost audibly chuckled at her statement. He always thought she talked way too much, but to hear her admit it was actually entertaining.

"I assume admitting that you care about me bothered you?" Sesshomaru questioned.

"Would you feel right admitting you cared about me?" Kagome asked.

"I don-…" Sesshomaru began, but something stopped him. Kagome tensed and he saw that. If he had finished that sentence, he would have had to deal with even more of her depressing mood. "It is difficult for me to claim to care about anyone. However, I do not find you worthless. I do, however, think you talk way too much and believe you to be an asset for Rin's development."

"I see." Kagome looked confused at him. Was he being nice?

"I also think that your words about Rin struck a chord with me." Sesshomaru said as he looked out over the forest view as well. He took a deep breath and sighed it out. "I never thought I'd be a Father and I have no idea how to do the job correctly, but denying that Rin sees me this way is harmful to her. Miss Jukudo using her to get closer to me, as you so eloquently put, has shown me that even the demons around me already think of her as my daughter, not just a human ward I keep around."

"So, if I may ask, what brought this change of heart on?" Kagome asked.

"Is it not obvious?" Sesshomaru raised an eyebrow at her. "You did."

"Me?" Kagome questioned with wide eyes. "H-How?"

Sesshomaru stared at her like she was stupid. He said nothing and watched her dig through her own mind and just hoped she would connect the dots. Obviously, she was having a difficult time, which caused Sesshomaru's expression to dull heavily. Kagome blushed, feeling stupid.

"I'm sorry." Kagome said and looked away embarrassed.

"You're the one who opened my eyes to Rin seeing me as a Father." Sesshomaru explained, calling back to their conversation that occurred after Aikanna healed Kagome. "If I get into a relationship with someone, it impacts Rin. She'll see them as a Mother, which means I must choose someone who cares about Rin. I have always been particular when choosing a mate, but now it is for different reasons."

"You're really going to officially adopt her as your daughter?" Kagome asked hopefully.

"I am." Sesshomaru nodded.

Kagome's entire demeanor brightened up. She looked at Sesshomaru as if a miracle had just occurred in front of her. His normal attitude toward her and Rin was so indifferent, or even harsh, at times that this very sudden change of heart was almost unbelievable. Kagome went to speak, but couldn't find the words to say. She felt a tear of joy fall down her cheek before quickly wiping it away.

"It's wonderful to see this side of you, Lord Sesshomaru." Kagome nodded happily and stretched her legs out in front of her. She placed her hands behind her and used them to prop herself up as she looked up to the clouds in the sky. "I think being a parent will be rewarding. I can't wait to become a Mom."

" _SHIPPO!" Kagome ran toward a young boy with a fluffy tail._

" _MOMMA!" The young boy jumped into her arms and hugged her tightly. "I thought you were gone for good this time. That Inuyasha is such a jerk. Don't listen to anything he says."_

" _It's okay, Shippo. You know I could never leave you alone." Kagome kissed the boy's forehead._

Kagome blinked and her vision tried coming back. Suddenly Sesshomaru was right in front of her. His head was slightly tilted as he watched her closely, a couple inches from her face.

"Lord Sesshomaru… What are you doing?" she asked.

"You were unresponsive." Sesshomaru replied and sat back down beside her. "Was it a memory?"

"I think so…" Kagome said as she thought back to the memory. "I remember a little boy… By his appearance I am pretty sure he's a demon. I can't remember what he said. This is frustrating…"

"There is a young fox cub that traveled with you and my younger brother." Sesshomaru explained. "I cannot recall his name, but I am sure you cared quite a lot for him."

Kagome tried really hard to recall the memory she just saw, but she could only remember the sights, not the sounds. Sesshomaru observed quietly until Rin and Jaken ran up with about six fish in hand.

"I think this is enough for everyone!" Rin said and dropped her fish on the ground, pulling Kagome from her thoughts. "Now let's build a campfire so we can cook them up!"

"Yes. Yes, Rin. Fine." Jaken sighed as he was suddenly dragged off by the hyperactive young girl.

"Oh well…" Kagome smiled as she watched Rin and Jaken run off. "Congratulations."

"Hm?"

"On gaining a daughter." Kagome clarified.

"… Thank you." Sesshomaru said, though he didn't sound too enthusiastic about it. He was still worried about making it official. He came to the conclusion that he did care for Rin like a daughter, but could he successfully raise a human girl in demon culture? Could he truly keep her safe and teach her the things she needed to be taught in order to survive in both worlds? Also, how long would he outlive her?

While Jaken and Rin were arguing about how to set up the campfire, Kagome and Sesshomaru watched them quietly until Sesshomaru caught a familiar and unwelcome scent. He stood up quickly and looked through the forest trees. When he caught the scent again, he grabbed the hilt of his sword.

"Jaken. Rin." Sesshomaru called to catch their attention. The two hurried over to him. Ah'Un woke up due to the sound of Sesshomaru's' voice and stood, making his way over to Sesshomaru's side. Kagome stood up and looked into the forest as well, waiting for whatever Sesshomaru sensed.

"What is that?" Kagome asked. "I can… I can sense something. It's weird."

"Ah-ha. Good day, Lord Sesshomaru." A dark menacing voice came from the shadows of the trees as a hunched silhouette appeared and came closer. The white pelt of a baboon finally showed itself.

"Kagome. Your bow." Sesshomaru said, not taking his eyes off of their new visitor and pulling Tōkijin from the sash around his waist. "Naraku, do you need something or have you come to die?"

Kagome looked over to Ah'Un's saddle and ran over to quickly grab the bow Sesshomaru had given her to train with. She had become accustom to using it again and was confident in her ability with it.

"I've simply come to check on an old friend." Naraku said, chuckling beneath the mask.

"So, my assumptions are correct. You put Kagome under the curse?" Sesshomaru asked.

"Of course not." Naraku said and turned his attention toward Kagome. "I wouldn't do such a thing. I merely want her to return to my care. Living with you must be awful."

"In your care?" Kagome asked curiously, stepping up to Sesshomaru's side. "I don't understand."

"Have you not regained any of your memories, Kagome?" Naraku asked. 

"I-…" Kagome was shut off by Sesshomaru.

"Say nothing." Sesshomaru snapped at her. Kagome flinched and stepped back from him.

"You're scaring her, Sesshomaru." Naraku said, his tone of voice sounding concerned. Naraku's entire demeanor was odd and made everyone but Kagome uncomfortable. Naraku's hands came up from under the baboon cloak and grabbed onto it. He slid the cloak off, revealing himself to them all. His long wavy black hair and his purple colored clothing were recognizable for Sesshomaru. However, something was odd about his appearance. Sesshomaru quickly realized that his eyes weren't red. Instead, they were green, a shade similar to the leaves in trees. Why would he change such a thing?

"I see." Sesshomaru said, a smirk on his face. "Are you trying to trick her?"

"What is that supposed to mean?" Naraku asked.

"Changing your eye color from red to green so she wouldn't recognize you as the creature that visited my courtyard when she first lost her memory." Sesshomaru chuckled and shook his head. "How pathetic. Do you really think I'd allow her to fall for something so stupid? You die here, Naraku."

"Sesshomaru, I have no intention of fighting you." Naraku held up both hands, a sign of peace for most people. "I just want to take Kagome home. Please… Kagome, you need to return with me. Inuyasha and the rest are waiting for you back at the village."

"Enough of this." Sesshomaru shouted angrily and raised Tokijin above his head. Demonic energy crackled above the tip of the blade. With a powerful swing downward, the blue energy shot forth like lightning. It enveloped Naraku quickly, who didn't have time to dodge the attack. A moment later, as the smoke cleared, Naraku was revealed with a pinkish-purple barrier surrounding him.

"You haven't been able to break my barrier before." Naraku sighed and crossed his arms. "What makes you think you'll be able to now. Nothing has changed here, besides you kidnapping the girl."

"What?" Kagome's eyes widened in horror.

"What's wrong, Kagome? What story did he tell you?" Naraku asked in anger.

"That I… They found me in the forest. They took care of me." Kagome said.

"They found you?" Naraku questioned. "He took you from us! Inuyasha, Sango, Miroku, Shippo, and myself have been trying to figure out a way to bring you back, but every time we get close you leave the castle. Just like now… Inuyasha and the rest were closing in on Sesshomaru and he decides it's time for all of you to get up and go again. You can't believe a word he says. Come with me, now!"

"Kagome. He's lying." Sesshomaru said, eyes narrowed at Naraku.

"Lord Sesshomaru would never do something so mean!" Rin shouted at Naraku.

"Yes, he would, especially if it hurts his brother, Inuyasha." Naraku retorted.

"Such impudence. You dare sully my master's good name with these lies?" Jaken shouted angrily, stomping toward Naraku. "Lord Sesshomaru would never dishonor his house with such manipulative methods. We found Kagome unconscious in the forest, brought her home, and then back to health because Rin did not want to see the girl harmed any further. Your words are poison, Naraku. Taking advantage of Kagome's lost memory to fill her head with falsities is nothing more than pitiful."

"Kagome!" Rin ran over to Kagome and grabbed Kagome's hand with both of her own. "Please, don't believe him. Lord Sesshomaru would never do something like that. I know sometimes he can be strict and scary to other people, but he is the only person we can trust to never betray us. We are safe with him and always have been. Remember when he saved you from a monster in the forest? Remember when Kagura took you and he brought you back? He even called a healer to take care of you!"

"Rin." Kagome looked down to the girl and smiled. "I know Naraku is lying."

"Y-You do?" Rin asked, tears that were welling up being blinked away with joy.

"Of course." Kagome said and tightened her hand around Rin's before looking back to Naraku with an even bigger smile. "I trust Lord Sesshomaru with my life. He won't convince me otherwise."

"Interesting." Naraku's fake demeanor faded and he turned to leave. "I didn't think that'd work, but it would have been entertaining to watch you walk away from him. You'll be mine soon enough, Kagome."


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter Twelve: Informed Choice

"What was that about?" Kagome walked hand-in-hand with Rin over to Sesshomaru. "He couldn't have really thought I'd believe him, right? He has such a dark aura… It's obvious he's evil."

"Kagome trusts you with her life, Lord Sesshomaru." Rin pointed that out with a big smile.

"I heard." Sesshomaru nodded to Rin and turned to Kagome. "I am not certain what he was trying to accomplish with such blatant lies. However, Naraku is not someone to underestimate. He's proven to be a master at manipulating people and is very resourceful. He's got something up his sleeve."

"That Naraku. Whatever he's planning, he'll fail." Jaken said with the utmost confidence in Sesshomaru.

"Why didn't you believe him? Honestly." Sesshomaru asked.

"Well…" Kagome looked like she was about to answer when she put her hand over her stomach. "I… I'm really hungry. Can we get that food going?"

"I'll do it!" Rin said and grabbed Jaken's hand to drag him over to their mostly complete campfire.

"Thank you, Rin!" Kagome said and then turned to Sesshomaru. "I did for a moment."

"What changed?"

"You did." Kagome said happily. "If he had appeared about twenty minutes ago, I probably would have run off with him, but after seeing that… fatherly side of you, I literally could not believe him."

"My accepting Rin as a daughter changed your mind?" Sesshomaru asked and Kagome nodded, which caused him some confusion. "My being a Father makes me more trustworthy?"

"No, no. Your being open with me helps me feel trusted by you." Kagome explained, but didn't really feel like she got her point across. "I guess that since you never tell me anything personal about you, it's hard to trust you on a personal level. This is my life we're talking about and I did worry for a while that what I was being told might be fake to use me for some reason. I mean, you did tell me at the beginning that you keeping me around would be useful for dealing with your younger brother. What else am I supposed to think, you know? But when you showed me the more insecure side of you, in your worries about being a Father to Rin, I guess I felt that you trusted me more and that's important to me."

"I see." Sesshomaru tilted his head, watching her curiously.

"I've also been here for over six months now and this Inuyasha person hasn't come looking for me." Kagome sighed and rubbed the back of her head. "I kinda hoped that I would see these people that I used to travel with at some time, but since they never show up, I guess they've got other things to do. I don't see a reason bothering myself over people I don't remember… since they're not looking for me. I realize now that I'm happy here with you and Rin, and even with Jaken. I don't wanna go."

"Kagome…" Sesshomaru looked her straight in the eyes, his own filled with worry.

"Lord Sesshomaru?" Kagome returned the worried expression.

"Inuyasha and your friends are likely looking for you." Sesshomaru said honestly. "I would be very surprised if they weren't. The country is large and we haven't run across them yet, but do not think they're not searching for you. They are. They care very much for you and your safety, and your absence likely causes them a great deal of stress. I will not have you live believing that your previous life is something to easily be given up. When I find a hint of them, I will reunite you all."

"Will you stay with me if I reunite with them?" Kagome asked.

"What?" Sesshomaru blinked in surprise. "I have no plans to travel with my half-brother."

"If my memories do not return, the only memories I have are of you all." Kagome reminded him. "I don't want to lose my new life for an old one that I don't remember. Since I don't remember, it doesn't mean anything to me, but you do… I-I mean, you all do. Rin, Jaken, you… All of you. Even those at the castle."

"Stop doing that." Sesshomaru demanded.

"Stop doing what?" Kagome asked.

"Stop acting guilty any time you express care toward me." Sesshomaru said in frustration. "It's insulting to watch you catch it and correct yourself like you regret it being known."

"Do you care about me?" Kagome asked.

"That has nothing to do with it."

"It has everything to do with it." Kagome clenched her fists, voice raised enough to catch the attention of the two cooking their fish. "I don't want to care about someone who doesn't care about me."

"I am not the one who says something and then takes it back." Sesshomaru shouted back at her.

"I didn't take it back!" Kagome yelled louder. "I just don't want to keep saying it. It's embarrassing!"

"How is it embarrassing?"

"Because it's like setting myself up for another failure and I can't handle that!"

Sesshomaru said nothing more. He wasn't sure what she meant. Setting herself up for another failure? He stared at her, trying to figure out what she meant by it. Kagome could tell that is what he was doing and hit her forehead. She stomped her foot and grabbed her hair to pull at her scalp hard enough that it hurt. She let out a soft "ow" and then took a deep breath to calm down.

"This is what I mean by I talk too much…" Kagome dropped to a sitting position and slouched over solemnly. "I'm going back to not talking. It's easier that way."

"You can… After you tell me what that meant." Sesshomaru said, looking down at her expectantly.

Kagome wanted to stay quiet. She didn't want to explain anything to him. She had let it slip in the first place and now he wanted answers. If she said what she was thinking, it'd only hurt her more. _He_ would only hurt her more. It wasn't something she was willing to risk, but she may not have a choice. Sesshomaru knelt down next to her and lifted her chin to look at him.

"Speak." He demanded. "Explain it."

"Do you really not get it or are you just wanting to hear me say it out loud?" Kagome asked. She eyed him for a bit. He looked confused by that question. Did he really not get it?

In the background, Jaken and Rin were watching with excitement and curiosity. What was going to happen next? What did Kagome mean? Did Sesshomaru just touch her face gently? There were so many questions that the little imp and the child wanted to ask, but it was like watching a cool story be told. They wouldn't dare interrupt and wanted to get to the end before something changed. The two glanced to each other for a moment and then returned their attention to Sesshomaru and Kagome.

"Both." Sesshomaru admitted. He could hear Kagome's heart race and could now feel it on the hand that held her chin up. This type of reaction only meant a few things to him and normally it was fear. He just didn't sense the fear he was used to and hated not understanding what it meant.

"If I keep telling you that I care about you… I'm only setting myself up to fail because there is no way you will ever care about me like that." Kagome admitted with anger in her eyes, embarrassment in her cheeks, and an anxious heartrate. "Why keep saying it if it doesn't matter?"

"Jaken." Sesshomaru stood up and looked toward his oldest companion. "Explain this."

"I, uh… Well, Lord Sesshomaru…" Jaken stood up and cleared his throat as he walked over to them.

"Wait, what?" Kagome stood back up and kicked Jaken away. "Are you serious?"

"Yes. And if you're not going to explain it, Jaken will."

"You're so dense!"

"Oh, oh! I get it." Rin raised her hand and hopped around excitedly.

"Rin, shhh." Kagome put her finger in front of her mouth to quiet the child.

"But, Kagome!" Rin pouted.

"Do not silence her." Sesshomaru warned Kagome. "Rin, explain it."

"No!" Kagome interrupted before Rin could speak. "Or should I tell her your secret?"

"You said I could trust you."

"And you can, but ordering others to tell you my secret is no-…"

"Will you two shut up already?" Jaken yelled out of nowhere, getting glares from both of them. To prevent any bodily harm, he quickly hid behind Rin. "If I may… Lord Sesshomaru, I believe you're either in denial about what you know Kagome is saying, so you're trying to force her to say it even though she's scared to. And Kagome, not just admitting it and treating Lord Sesshomaru like a mind reader is unfair. You're disrespecting each other quite a lot in this situation. Just be honest."

Sesshomaru and Kagome looked back to each other, staring for a few intense moments. Rin and Jaken continued watching from the side, Jaken thankful he did not get killed with the disrespect he had also just shown Sesshomaru. Finally, Sesshomaru sighed and relented to the situation.

"I assume you will explain it to me when you're ready." Sesshomaru said and turned away. "Let's eat."

Kagome calmed down. She was thankful that Sesshomaru quickly diffused the situation. The entire thing was stupid anyway. Jaken knew what she wanted to say. Rin knew it too. She had a sinking feeling that Sesshomaru knew it as well, but wanted to embarrass her by making her say it and then wholly rejecting her. It was cruel and the thought of that upset her. With her bow in hand, Kagome walked away.

"Hey, Kago-…" Rin called out, but Jaken stopped her.

"Let her go." Jaken rolled his eyes. "You humans are so emotional."

"It's not her fault. She wants him to say it first." Rin said toward Jaken.

"And what is the point of that?" Jaken asked.

"If Lord Sesshomaru says it first, then it feels more special." Rin explained. "It also means that she doesn't have to worry about him not saying it because he's already said it. If he's already said it, she can say it too without feeling bad because he doesn't say it."

"Humans. Emotional and complicated." Jaken shook his head as he took a bite of his fish.

"It's not complicated. It's just scary. Kagome doesn't have anyone else…" Rin said, staring sadly down at her own food. "If she says something like that and it goes bad, she'll have no one. She'll want to leave and will be alone without friends and without her memories."

"I see." Sesshomaru said. Hearing Rin talk about that gave him a bit of insight. "Is that why you never asked to be my daughter, Rin? If I said no, it'd hurt you bad enough that you couldn't stay."

"I… Well, uh… M-Maybe… Y-Yes." Rin's entire face went red. She was put on the spot very quickly.

"Would you like that?" Sesshomaru asked.

"Wh-What?" Rin replied.

"To be my daughter." Sesshomaru clarified.

Rin forced herself to swallow the last bite because she could feel her throat tighten. Her eyes teared up and she nodded happily. Rin suddenly stood up and ran into Sesshomaru, hugging him tightly. Sesshomaru still was not used to this type of contact, but he dealt with it. He pat Rin on the top of the head and as she looked up to him with a big smile, he nodded to her, a small smile on his own face.

"Finally." Jaken said and chuckled. "You've warmed Lord Sesshomaru's heart, Rin. Well done."

"So, can I call you Dad?" Rin asked hopeful.

"You can." Sesshomaru answered and Rin hopped up and down around the area saying 'dad' over and over again. Sesshomaru had never seen her so happy about anything.

"You do know what Kagome was trying to tell you, right, Lord Sesshomaru?" Jaken asked suddenly.

"Of course." Sesshomaru said with a sigh.

"Then how come you pretended you didn't?" Rin asked.

"I've gotten to know her enough to understand that she wouldn't admit it in front of anyone else, no matter how much I asked her." Sesshomaru explained, starring at the fire. "Unlike you, Rin, she wouldn't be getting a yes from me. I am happy to become your Dad. I cannot become her mate."

"Cannot." Jaken repeated the word. Sesshomaru ignored it. Rin thought Jaken was just emphasizing how serious Sesshomaru was about it. In reality, there is a big difference in the way Sesshomaru would use the words "cannot" and "will not." Jaken took note of the usage of that word.

"How come?" Rin asked sadly.

"Even if I were to feel similarly toward Kagome, she is not herself." Sesshomaru explained. "She has none of her memories and therefore cannot make an informed decision on her life. It's not like she was injured and may never get her memories back. She is under a curse and we are actively searching for a way to have them returned to her. Taking such a step now and then having her memories return has the potential to be nothing less than a catastrophe for everyone involved. It is smarter and much more considerate of the Kagome with her memories to never take such a step in her condition."

"I think I understand." Rin said and sat down to eat again. "That's really smart, Lo-… Dad."

"Thank you, Rin." Sesshomaru picked up his own fish and decided to eat. He wasn't fond of eating human food very often, but it was something that he could deal with.

"So, that means if she gets her memories back and still chooses you, you'd say yes?" Rin asked.

"I don't know, Rin." Sesshomaru said after some hesitation. He couldn't answer that question. He had no idea what his mind and heart were saying about Kagome right now. There was a lot of conflict there. Firstly, she was human. Secondly, his brother. Thirdly, the memory issue. Finally, that type of love was lost on him and because of her human nature, it would be extremely important to her. Sesshomaru could not promise to feel that way. Even if he was feeling differently, love was a different story.

"Where did Kagome go anyways?" Jaken asked, looking around.

Sesshomaru raised his head to sniff the air. He couldn't catch her scent. He stood up and looked the direction she had been walking. With a glance back to Jaken, the rest knew to wait there. Sesshomaru ran off toward the direction Kagome went and sniffed the air, trying to catch her scent.

.

.

Kagome couldn't understand why she was so upset. Something about this felt familiar and she didn't like it. Fighting with Sesshomaru over something stupid like this felt odd. She kept walking until she was out of sight and then continued even farther without realizing it. She was lost in thought and when she finally snapped out of it, she didn't know which direction to turn. She began running in a random direction, hoping it was the right one, but when the trees never opened to the clearing that they all settled in, she realized she went the wrong way and turned back around.

Kagome ran as fast as she could, but everything looked the same. She darted by tree after tree and never came to the clearing. She stopped and tried to listen to see if she could hear the river. If she found it, she remembered which direction the water was flowing when Rin was fishing. Unfortunately, she wasn't able to hear it and that threw her into a panic. Her heart began racing and she kept running.

" _No…"_ Kagome thought as she looked left and right through the trees. _"Where am I?"_

Faster and faster she went, unable to find anything familiar. Her panic faded just enough that she came to a stop. If she kept running, she'd only get farther away from where she wanted to be. If she couldn't find them, Kagome had faith that Sesshomaru would be able to find her. However, she couldn't just stand still. She needed to find something to get her bearings, so she walked.

Kagome maybe walked for about thirty seconds before she found a very small clearing. She walked around a tree and immediately made eye contact with a red-eyed sabretooth cat demon. It ran into the clearing right as she stepped in and charged at her, letting out a low growl. Kagome turned away as quickly as she could and ran back the way she came, but the demon continued after her. She could hear it right behind her, getting closer, so she screamed in fear, hoping that Lord Sesshomaru would rescue her again.

"Wait!" she heard a male voice call out to her and looked to see another demon chasing her. This time it was a more human looking one with white hair and dog ears running along side her. "Stop running!"

"GET AWAY!" Kagome screamed and turned through the trees to try and lose him. She knew the chance of evading a demon was very low, but all she needed to do was buy her some time.

Kagome was running so quickly that she didn't see the suddenly drop. She ran over the edge and rolled down a steep hill that just seemed to keep going. Her body hit branches, rocks, and other hard surfaces until she rolled all the way to the bottom and into the river she had been looking for. The rough waters quickly took her south. As she tried to keep her head above water, she could see multiple people running along the shore to catch her, including the two demons she had been running from.

"She's going to end up over the waterfall." A woman in the group yelled.

Kagome looked back to see that a waterfall wasn't far off. She tried fighting against it, but was only pulled under the water by the strong current. Suddenly, she felt her body going over the edge and gravity taking over. She looked down to see rocks coming toward her, but was suddenly grabbed by the wrist and her descent ended. She looked up to see the large sabretooth cat demon and a woman riding it. Kagome was ready to panic again, but the woman's smile kept her from doing so. Somehow, she recognized the smile.

Soon, Kagome found herself on the ground at the edge of the river. She was suddenly surrounded by a group of strange people and did not like it. She looked around for Sesshomaru, but when she didn't see him, she stood up to run away again, but was suddenly blocked by a man in robes.

"Wait, wait. Don't run." He said, stretching his arms to block her way.

Kagome looked around at all of them, her heart racing. A ruffling in the trees caught everyone's attention. A familiar silver-haired demon came sliding to a stop behind the group. Kagome immediately pushed by all of them and ran to Sesshomaru for safety. She stood behind the demon, who raised an eyebrow at her and then looked to the people he knew to be her original friends.

"Sesshomaru." Inuyasha said and put his hand on Tetsusaiga's hilt. "Give Kagome back."


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter Thirteen: "Sit."

"Sure. Kagome," Sesshomaru glanced over his shoulder. "Would you like to go with him?"

"What? No." Kagome said without hesitation, appalled at the idea.

"Before you decide to act stupid, I suggest you take some time to think." Sesshomaru glared at Inuyasha, who looked defeated by Kagome's answer. "I'm sure the priestess in red and white explained things."

"She did." Miroku said with a nod.

Sesshomaru went to speak again, when he felt Kagome press against his back. He blinked and looked back at her. She was curling into him for warmth. It was then that he noticed she was soaked. There was only one reason she would have fell in that god forsaken river…

"You chased her, didn't you?" Sesshomaru asked them.

"She ran away. We had to." A young fox boy hopped off the shoulders of the humanoid demon in all red. "Kagome, don't you remember us?"

Kagome looked around Sesshomaru's shoulder to eye all of them as she shivered in her wet clothing. Her eyes fell upon the young fox boy last. She stared at him the longest. He was the one from her most recent vision. She recognized him immediately, so she walked up and knelt down in front of him.

"What's your name?" Kagome asked him, hugging herself for warmth.

"Shippo…" He answered sadly.

"Shippo." Kagome repeated and looked back to Sesshomaru. "He's the one I saw in my latest memory."

"Huh? You saw me?" Shippo asked excitedly.

"Can you remember what was said now that you are able to see him?" Sesshomaru asked, but Kagome shook her head. Sesshomaru turned to the rest of her group. "We're camped up the river. You may join us if you wish. However, you'll be in charge of obtaining your own food."

"Like we're going with you!" Inuyasha yelled angrily at his brother.

"I doubt that." Sesshomaru said uncaringly as he turned on his heel and walked back toward camp.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Inuyasha scoffed at his brother.

Kagome didn't really acknowledge the group too much. She looked down at Shippo and smiled, but that was it. She then turned to follow Sesshomaru, leaving the rest behind.

"That's what it means." Sango said worriedly. "She's come to trust and rely on him, hasn't she?"

"It's been months and he's kept her alive." Miroku said appreciatively. "Let's show him respect and follow up on his offer. Remember what Kikyo said about forcing her memory."

It didn't take the Inuyasha group long to catch up to Sesshomaru and Kagome. When they first did, Kagome looked over her shoulder and then moved closer to Sesshomaru. Sesshomaru watched her curiously and then looked back to his brother and his friends. They weren't exactly happy about the sight. This was going to get awkward quickly, especially since Kagome was still shivering.

"Do not get sick again." Sesshomaru demanded.

"I wasn't sick before, remember? And it's not like I can control it if I do." Kagome pouted and hugged herself. "I didn't mean to fall in the river and it's the middle of autumn, so the breeze isn't helping my case."

"Are you trying to make this more awkward?" Sesshomaru asked. Kagome wouldn't understand what he meant, but Sesshomaru's first reaction was to warm her up somehow. Unfortunately, with her old friends watching, he wasn't ready to deal with the annoying responses his brother would give.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Kagome countered with her voice raised.

"Forget it." Sesshomaru said.

"No, explain!" Kagome demanded.

"Inuyasha." Sesshomaru stopped walking and turned to his brother. "I assume you can keep up?"

"What?" Inuyasha questioned.

"If not, follow our scent." Sesshomaru said and swooped Kagome up bridal style, something that had never happened before. "I have no interest in dealing with this woman while ill, so keep up."

Kagome curled into Sesshomaru. His body was warm and she was freezing, though there may have been an extra reason for her little snuggle. The amount of comfort and trust that Kagome showed toward Sesshomaru was hard for the others to watch. Inuyasha was angered by it more than anyone else and Shippo was just worried that his Mom would never remember him.

Sesshomaru carried Kagome off toward camp and the group followed behind him. It was a little difficult for them to keep up while Sesshomaru was running full speed, but they kept him in sights. As they got closer, Rin's scent reminded Sesshomaru of one important thing: she calls him Dad now. Sesshomaru suddenly came to a sliding stop at the edge of the large clearing, Rin and Jaken in sight. He set Kagome down and contemplated how to deal with this. Of course, the moment he makes a decision that big and counter to his normal behavior, Inuyasha shows up to witness it all. How infuriating.

"Are you alright?" Kagome asked him.

"I told her." Sesshomaru said and Kagome's eyes brightened, knowing what he meant. "I'm not sure if I want my brother to know about it."

"Don't be silly. Be proud of it." Kagome told him. "I bet he doesn't have something so special."

Sesshomaru felt a tug on the side of his lips and looked over his shoulder as the group caught up. He nodded to them, pretending he had been waiting and continued on to Jaken and Rin. He landed with a light thud next to the two and set Kagome on her feet. Rin, of course, hurried to give Kagome a hug.

"Guess what?" Rin said excitedly, trying to whisper but failing badly.

"What?" Kagome asked with a smile.

"I can call him Dad now!" Rin threw her hands in the air and clung happily to Kagome, who of course returned the embrace and congratulated her. It took Rin a moment to realize that Kagome was soaking wet. "Ah! You're so cold. What happened? Get next to Ah'Un. Go, go, go! You know the rules. You'll get sick if you don't." Rin lightly pushed Kagome along toward their two-headed demon companion. Ah'Un was always very warm, so when things were colder than normal, the two sat next to him to avoid getting sick.

"Okay, okay." Kagome sat down next to Ah'Un and laid against his saddle-less side. "Thanks, Ah'Un."

Inuyasha and the group arrived to watch Kagome being pushed around by a concerned Rin. They stayed silent, unsure of what to do or say when their friend didn't remember them. Rin looked over to see them standing there and stared for a moment. It took her a second to recognize them all, but when she did, she looked back to Kagome and pointed at the newcomers to their campsite.

"Kagome, those are the people you usually travel with." Rin said casually.

Kagome said nothing. She glanced over to the group, but quickly looked away. What was she supposed to say to them? She didn't know them. It was awkward. A piece of her wanted to ask questions, but there was a larger part of her that wanted to tell them to go away and leave her alone. Any interactions she had away from Sesshomaru up to this point had all gone very bad. She did not want to repeat anything like with Kitanran or Kagura. She was safe with Lord Sesshomaru and that was it.

"You might as well sit down." Sesshomaru spoke up, glancing over his shoulder toward Inuyasha and the group. "Standing there will help nothing."

"Alright." Miroku spoke up first and nodded to Sango. The two walked over and sat down near the campfire, but kept a comfortable distance away from Kagome to make sure they didn't bother her. It was the young fox demon that broke the silence by starting up conversation with Rin. He asked about how Kagome met them, where they've been staying, what fun activities they did, and anything that gave Shippo an idea on how his Momma was doing. From what everyone could tell, Kagome was okay.

"Now that Kagome isn't hurt anymore, we get to go on more adventures." Rin told Shippo.

"How did Kagome get hurt?" Shippo asked. 

"She was training super hard, like how demons do, and her body needed recovery time." Rin explained.

"Training? What training?" Inuyasha asked, the question pointed toward his brother.

"I was given the idea to have her participate in activities that she did before she lost her memory." Sesshomaru explained to Inuyasha with an annoyed expression. "The only thing I knew about her was her experience with a bow and arrow. So, I had her training _with a bow and arrow_."

"Did it help?" Sango asked, looking to Kagome.

"I got really good with it." Kagome nodded excitedly.

"She meant with your memory, Kagome!" Rin corrected with a giggle.

"Oh, I… Hm… Did I have a vision around that time?" Kagome thought back. "I don't think I did. It was just months of training. The only visions I remember are of Shippo and you." Kagome pointed toward Sango and smiled. "You were helping me stand up. I think I got hit by something or… I don't know. For a while I couldn't remember your face, but now that you're here I remember that memory some."

"Her recovery is slow-going, but Lord Sesshomaru has taken the necessary steps to guaranteeing your friend's good health and safety." Jaken spoke highly of Sesshomaru's efforts.

"I hate to ask since you've done so much already by taking care of her…" Sango looked to Sesshomaru, "I was wondering… Have you figured out any other ideas on how to return her memory?"

"We have figured out that it is a powerful curse, Naraku put it on her, and that the jewel shards may aid in having her memories return." Sesshomaru explained, watching the flickering campfire. "We traveled south to a powerful demon priest that lives there, but Naraku predicted it and stole the priest's tools that could possibly help. When I spoke to him, however, he said even if he had them, the curse was likely too powerful for him to remove. Whatever Naraku has done, it's thorough."

The news did not help the group settle down at all. A few minutes of silence followed as they all contemplated what to do next. Inuyasha wanted to take Kagome and leave as soon as possible. Sango and Miroku both had ideas of staying with Sesshomaru until Kagome's memory returned. Shippo just wanted to tell Kagome everything he remembered about her, but was scared of what Kikyo said may happen if her memory was forced. Rin was worried about Kagome leaving. Sesshomaru was worried about everyone staying. Jaken worried for Sesshomaru's sanity.

"All this time and that's all you've got?" Inuyasha spoke up to break the annoying silence. "Heh, and I figured you were smarter."

"Shut up. You sound stupid." Rin looked up from her writing and yelled at Inuyasha.

"Hey, I'm not stupid. You're stupid." Inuyasha stood up angrily and replied like a petulant child.

"Shut up and sit you-…" Kagome started, but Inuyasha was suddenly pulled to the floor. "Uh, is he okay?"

"Yeah, that happens when you say the word 'sit' to him." Shippo explained. "You do it when he's acting like an idiot."

"So, I did that?" Kagome asked. She crawled over to Inuyasha, who was barely lifting his head up. "Sit."

Inuyasha was once again pulled to the ground, the dirt beneath him being dug deeper. Kagome said it again and it happened again. Suddenly, she giggled happily and repeated the word until Sango felt bad enough for Inuyasha to stop her.

"Kagome, please, no more." Sango said through laughs.

"Why does she do this to me?" Inuyasha asked, but his voice was muffled by the ground.

"That's easy. Now, I know how to deal with you." Kagome said and grabbed the top of Inuyasha's hair to lift it up. The smile she showed him was one that dripped venom. "Insult Rin or Sesshomaru again and I'll make it ten feet deep next time. Alright?"

"Y-Yes." Inuyasha nodded, a few tears in his eyes and dirt falling from his nose.

"Good boy." Kagome said, dropping his head and patting him like a dog. Kagome moved back to Ah'Un and leaned against him for warmth again. Sesshomaru watched her, very amused by what just transpired. Kagome defending him from Inuyasha was an unexpected perk of all this. Once Kagome's eyes met his, he nodded in approval to her, which only made her smile wider and want to do it again. However, she'll wait for Inuyasha to mess up.

"Another thing. We were confronted by Naraku." Sesshomaru told the group, "He attempted to sway Kagome toward him by manipulating her loss of memory and trying to make her believe that I was the assailant in all of this."

"Yeah!" Rin sat up angrily. "He tried to say Daddy was the bad guy, but Kagome didn't believe a word he said."

The entire group contemplated Naraku's intentions. A couple of seconds later, something clicked and they all looked confused at Rin.

"D-D-D-Did you just… call my brother… Daddy?" Inuyasha asked in horror.

"That was quite unexpected." Miroku blinked surprised at Rin and Sesshomaru's apparent kinship.

"That's adorable." Sango giggled and looked at Rin. "When did you decide Sesshomaru was your Dad?"

"A long time ago, but he finally said I could be his daughter today." Rin explained cheerfully.

Sesshomaru was sitting silently. Hearing it said out loud was jarring at first. Rin called him 'daddy.' He was hoping to cut off the last bit and have Rin just say 'dad,' but maybe that was normal at her age. Demons and humans matured differently. If he was being honest with himself, he found it cute. It wasn't something he'd admit though, especially when Inuyasha and his friends were around.

"So, Sesshomaru said it? How wonderful!" Sango added, eyeing the demon lord, who only replied with a 'what of it' expression.

"You're a dad." Inuyasha eyes his brother with an expression between confusion and disgust. "This is unbelievable."

"Someone sounds jealous." Kagome said as she leaned her back against Ah'Un a bit more. She was looking tired and her clothes weren't completely dry yet. Sesshomaru noticed this and tossed a bag at Kagome. She knew it to be the one that held the blankets, so she pulled it out and covered up.

"I'm not jealous. I don't want to be a dad. Are you kidding me?" Inuyasha shouted, hitting his knee with a fist.

"Are you always this loud?" Kagome asked, meeting Inuyasha's gaze for a moment before shaking her head and looking up at the sky. "Why wouldn't you want to be a dad? I can't wait to be a Mom. Being a parent sounds wonderful, especially if I'm lucky enough to get a little one like Rin."

Hearing that broke Shippo's heart. He watched Kagome with tears in his eyes, his paw gripping his shirt tightly.

"You mean that, Kagome?" Rin asked excitedly.

"Of course, Rin. You're wonde-." Kagome's sentence was cut off by Shippo getting up and running off suddenly. Kagome watched him disappear into the darkness and called out. "Hey, what are you doing? You're gonna get lost."

"God damn it." Inuyasha stood up and began walking after Shippo. "I'll get him."

As Inuyasha passed Kagome, he shot a disappointed glare at her. Kagome raised an eyebrow at Inuyasha. She didn't understand where that look came from. Once Inuyasha was gone, she rolled her eyes at him and sat up again.

"I don't like that guy." Kagome said.

"You just don't remember him." Miroku said sadly and took Sango's hand. "Maybe we shouldn't stay."

"We can't just leave. Shippo will be fine." Sango said, though she knew it was a somewhat selfish decision. "I don't… I don't want to lose another person I love to memory loss. This is the second time Naraku has done this. This isn't fair."

"So, who is this Naraku anyway? What does he want with me?" Kagome asked.

"Naraku is a half-demon menace that has hurt all of us in different ways." Miroku explained and then motioned to Sango. "Sango's brother Kohaku had his memory wiped and is forced to act as a servant to Naraku. Due to that, Kohaku has been forced to do many horrible things. We're worki-…"

Kagome shot her hands up to each side of her head. She clenched her jaw and whimpered in pain. Rin tried calling out her name, but got no response. Kagome was in too much pain to respond. Kagome cried out as memory began forcing itself to the surface. Kagome was seeing many faded memories at once and every one of them were of Sango. She saw another young boy there; he wore a similar outfit to Sango. She saw a fight with the demon Naraku and an arrow she fired strike him. She saw Sango looking to kill the young boy that was dressed like her, but being stopped by Inuyasha.

Kagome's eyes rolled to the back of her head and her body began convulsing violently. Sesshomaru took that as a hint to act. Ah'Un became frightened at the scene and backed away from Kagome quickly, causing her to fall, but Sesshomaru caught her and held her as still as he could without hurting her.

"KAGOME!" Rin yelled fearfully.

Inuyasha ran back into the area to see what was wrong, sensing the fear in Rin's voice. Shippo stood on Inuyasha's shoulder with his eyes red from crying, but the tears had stopped. When the two saw what was happening to Kagome, they hurried over to her side, but were scared to touch her.

After a very long five minutes of this convulsing, Kagome's body finally stopped and fell limp in Sesshomaru's arms. When she did, Sesshomaru laid her gently on the ground and put a hand on her forehead. She did not have a temperature and she was breathing normally.

"What the hell was that?" Inuyasha asked.

"I do not know." Sesshomaru shook his head. "But it is probably best not to push her any further. Reminding her of who Naraku is may prove to have harmed her more than helped her. I can guess that his existence impacts more in her soul than I would think."

"Yeah." Inuyasha nodded. "Naraku's existence is why we all travel together. It's what fuels Kagome's motivation for Miroku and Sango. Reforming the jewel is a part of that too, but Naraku is the cause of all of our pain."

"If reminding her of who she is does that, maybe she shouldn't remember that she's my Momma." Shippo said, wiping a few near tears with his sleeve, "I don't wanna hurt her anymore."

Sesshomaru looked up from Kagome to the fox child and watched him. When Shippo noticed this, he pushed up a weak and saddened smile.

"She's a Mom?" Rin asked.

"She's my Momma." Shippo pointed proudly at himself, but only ended up sad again. "But she doesn't remember."

"If Kagome marries my dad, then you'll be my brother." Rin said innocently, revealing an idea that had been in her head for a while now.

Sesshomaru looked at Rin in astonishment, blinking once. He had no idea what to say to that. He had just told Rin that the possibility of being with Kagome was not there. It wasn't going to happen. Now, she just put that idea in everyone's head. Inuyasha was glaring so intensely at Sesshomaru that it made the hairs on Sesshomaru's neck stand up. He looked back to his brother and they locked eye-contact. Sango and Miroku were dumbstruck as well.

"I never thought I'd have a sister." Shippo continued the casual conversation, wiping his nose. "That'd be cool."

"Like Kagome would ever be interested in someone like Sesshomaru." Inuyasha said, trying to convince himself more than anyone else.

"Why would you say that?" Rin asked, tilting her head to the side. "You like Kagome, don't you?"

"What? She's my friend, nothing more!" Inuyasha answered, his cheeks turning red.

"Enough, Rin. Please." Sesshomaru said calmly to the child and pat her head. "Let's get Kagome to a more comfortable position."

"Right!" Rin hurried over to their things and started setting out a bed for Kagome. Sesshomaru picked Kagome up and laid her down on the bed Rin made for her. Kagome was so still that it bothered everyone, even Sesshomaru. Whatever that episode she just had was, it may have done some damage. Now, they could only wait until the next morning to figure out what happened. Did Kagome suddenly get her memories back? Did she lose all of them that she had recently gained? Was there some other effect going on here? None of them knew and only morning would tell.

After the night came to a close around the group, no one slept well unless they were a child. Rin curled up in bed next to Kagome, which made Shippo very jealous of her. It took him a bit to get to sleep, but once he did everything was fine. Sesshomaru and Inuyasha were the last to fall asleep. Inuyasha had not stopped his glaring and it was becoming frustrating for Sesshomaru. If everyone wasn't sleep, he would have smashed Inuyasha's face in by now. When Inuyasha finally turned over to look the other way, Sesshomaru allowed himself to fall asleep. He understood his brother's frustration. The woman that Sesshomaru thought was his Inuyasha's lover had shown more care toward him than Inuyasha. Sesshomaru would be upset as well. However, the situation was unique and Inuyasha was going to have to get over it. He'd just have to calm Rin's hopes for Kagome as a Mother.


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter Fourteen: Regaining Trust

The morning was close, but not yet here and Kagome shot up from her sleep as if she were having a nightmare. She looked around at those around her and stood up from the bed, taking a couple moments to calm her breathing so no one would wake up. When a loud snore came from Inuyasha, Kagome didn't even flinch. She turned toward a seemingly random direction and just began walking, disappearing through the trees.

Sesshomaru's eyes opened the moment Kagome sat up from bed. He watched her calmly, but she never looked over in his direction. Sesshomaru watched Kagome walk off and stood up to follow, noticing her strange behavior. Sesshomaru was more curious about what she was doing than stopping her, so he watched carefully, keeping quiet and to the shadows while he followed. From what he could tell, Kagome was just going for a walk.

Kagome traveled for a few minutes before she stopped by a large tree. She stood there quietly, staring expressionlessly at the bark before sitting down and leaning against it. She ended up falling asleep less than a minute later. Sesshomaru was confused by this. He walked over and knelt down.

"Kagome." Sesshomaru put a hand on her shoulder and shook her gently. "Kagome, wake up."

Kagome's eyes slowly opened. She looked up to Sesshomaru, yawned, and stretched her body.

"Lord Sesshomaru? Wh-What's wrong?" Kagome asked while rubbing her eyes.

"Why did you come out here?" Sesshomaru asked.

"Huh?" Kagome looked around and realized she wasn't near the group anymore. "I… don't know."

"Were you sleep walking?" Sesshomaru asked curiously. "You had an attack last night. You fell unconscious and your body tensed and shook violently. You scared the hell out of everyone, especially Rin and the young fox boy."

"I did? I'm sorry." Kagome brought her arms up, but they fell weakly to her sides a moment later. "I feel weak… Did I scare you too?"

"Get up." Sesshomaru lifted Kagome up to her feet. She stumbled a bit, but kept standing.

"Did I?" Kagome asked again, trying to gain eye contact with him. He was avoiding it on purpose, but she was determined. When she finally got him to look at her, she stared at him in hopes of an answer. Sesshomaru just stared back at her for a short time before sighing.

"I was concerned, yes." Sesshomaru admitted and she suddenly threw herself into him, hugging him tightly. "That's what you wanted to hear?"

"Will you just hug me back?" Kagome squeezed a little tighter.

Sesshomaru looked around and took a sniff of the air around him. He couldn't see or smell anyone, so he gave in and returned the embrace. Kagome nuzzled her cheek against his chest before looking up to him with a sweet smile. Sesshomaru felt another tug on his lips and fought the smile, but Kagome saw it whether he liked it or not. Sesshomaru sighed again and pat the top of her head before grabbing her upper arms and prying her from him.

"That's enough. You got what you wanted." Sesshomaru said.

"I really just wanted to know if you cared about me." Kagome said, putting her hands behind her back. "I'm glad to know you do. It helps me make a decision that I had a feeling was coming soon."

"A decision?" Sesshomaru asked.

"Whether or not I was going to stay with you or go with Inuyasha and the rest." Kagome explained and walked around him, smiling softly. She looked back over her shoulder at him. "I'm going to stay with you, Lord Sesshomaru. If you'll let me, I want to stay and it's not just for Rin. I want to be with you too."

"Kagome, you can stay, but I do hope that Rin hasn't been filling your head with stuff that can't happen." Sesshomaru told her.

"What do you mean?" Kagome asked.

"Has Rin been talking to you about anything when it comes to me?" Sesshomaru asked seriously and looked sternly at her. "And do not dare lie to me."

"Well, she has talked about you becoming her dad." Kagome said quickly, but she looked worried about saying anymore. Another stern look from Sesshomaru forced her to speak up. "And she said she noticed a few things."

"Noticed what?" Sesshomaru said, not expecting that answer.

"Well, she… I mean, um…" Kagome rubbed the back of her head and looked away from Sesshomaru. "It's too embarrassing."

"Kagome, I am only going to say this once." Sesshomaru put his hands on her shoulders and held her still, looking her directly in the eyes. "You and I cannot be and will never be mates. While I have become fond of you as a companion over these months and have even considered you a comrade, I cannot choose a human as a mate. I cannot choose **you** as a mate. You are not _you_ right now. Do you understand that?"

"N-No…I don't." Kagome shook her head, fighting back tears as he rejected her so thoroughly. Kagome shook herself from his grip and took a step back, only to slip and fall backwards because of a lone rock. Sesshomaru reached out and pulled her back to balance, gripping her shoulders again.

"You have a life, memories, friends, and loves that you don't know about." Sesshomaru told her, still holding onto her. "It would not be good for either of us, your friends, or the children. You have no idea what decision you would make if you remembered who you are."

"O-Oh." Kagome wasn't sure how to feel. On one hand, he completely rejected her and that hurt, but on the other hand, his reasons were very sweet and showed her the honorable heart he had. He wasn't rejecting her because she was human or because she was apparently friends with his brother. She wasn't being rejected for being unworthy. She was being rejected because this decision would be made on partial information. From what Kagome could tell, Sesshomaru wanted her to remember who she was first. Would she still choose him then? Or would she take a different path? Neither of them knew that answer. He was obviously protecting her, but he was also protecting himself. If he did go further into a relationship with her, what happened if she ran off with Inuyasha? It could hurt him and Rin. She understood that and nodded at him. "I understand."

Sesshomaru sighed in relief and finally let her go. He did his best to regain his composure, took a deep breath, and ran his hands over his hair, resting them at his neck. Sesshomaru pointed her toward the camp and they made their way back. Sesshomaru walked in front of her like normal. He expected some sort of conversation on the way back, but she said nothing to him. For the first time in a while, Sesshomaru enjoyed some silence.

The two broke through the edge of the forest and walked back over to camp. Everyone had woken up since they left. As they approached, only Rin and Shippo approached them. Jaken was busy cooking the fish for everyone, but he greeted Sesshomaru politely from his spot. The rest watched the two of them, silently wondering where the two had gone. Sesshomaru knelt down in front of Rin to talk to her, but Rin just gave him a hug.

"Morning, Daddy!" Rin said happily. "Jaken's getting breakfast ready."

"Good morning, Rin." Sesshomaru nodded and returned the hug. Once he let her go, she ran back over to watch the food cook. Kagome was still standing behind him, obviously lost in thought. Sesshomaru looked back to her and tapped her shoulder. "Get something to eat."

Kagome nodded and walked past him over to the campfire with Rin and Jaken. Sesshomaru stood in silence, watching the group. Soon, Miroku and Sango stood up and walked over to him.

"How is she?" Sango asked.

"Her memories seem to be unaffected, but I am pretty sure she was sleep walking." Sesshomaru explained to them. "Has she done that before?"

"No, never." Sango explained, glancing to Miroku for confirmation. He shook his head 'no' as well.

"Not even during a stressful situation like last night?" Sesshomaru asked and they both reiterated their previous replies. "Then last night must have done something. She walked out to the forest and sat by a large tree to sleep next to it. She did nothing more, just sat down to sleep."

"That could be a hint toward the Sacred Tree near Kaede's village." Miroku proposed.

"The Sacred Tree?" Sesshomaru questioned.

"Yeah, it is something very familiar to her. It even grows in her time." Sango said before slapping her hand over her own mouth.

"… Her _what?_ " Sesshomaru stared at Sango, expecting an answer. Sango looked to Miroku regrettably.

"I doubt she'd hide it from him now, so…" Miroku cleared his throat and looked to Sesshomaru. "Kagome is from five hundred years in the future. I'm sure you've been curious about her normal clothing. Apparently, that's what they wear at school in her time."

"She's from the future?" Sesshomaru asked again, not entirely believing their answer.

"Yes. She was able to travel here because of the Sacred Jewel. When it shattered, she chose to stay and reform it." Miroku explained further. "She is also the reincarnation of the priestess Kikyo that originally guarded the jewel."

"Will you two shut up?" Inuyasha shouted at them. He caught everyone's attention and stomped over. "I don't know if you've forgotten, but Sesshomaru isn't our ally. He's an enemy who tries to kill me every time we cross paths. Why in the hell would you tell him anything about Kagome?"

"You try to kill him?" Kagome asked curiously.

"I have many times in the past, yes." Sesshomaru admitted.

"Probably deserved it." Kagome narrowed her eyes at Inuyasha. "You've got a bad attitude. I can't believe I traveled with someone like you. All you do is yell. The kids are better behaved than you are."

"K-Kagome." Inuyasha looked away sadly and then glared at Sesshomaru. "This is all your fault! She hates me now. Why couldn't you have just brought her back to us? We could have taken care of her just fine! Why did you have to keep her away? Now she has no interest in even learning who her real friends are. Was this some sort of plot you and Naraku thought up? You worked with him before, I wouldn't be surprised it if happened again."

"Inuyasha…" Kagome called out in a familiar mischievous tone, causing the hairs on Inuyasha's next to stand. "SIT."

The beads around Inuyasha's neck lit up and their spiritual power once again forced the half-demon to the floor. Everyone stared at him as he laid there for a few moments. Even Sesshomaru pitied him then. Kagome was just giggling away as she ate her fish.

"Kagome." Sango called out as she helped Inuyasha up. "Please, don't do that anymore."

"I warned him." Kagome said.

"I know, but… Before, you knew why you did these things. Now, you're just doing it for fun." Sango explained and lowered her head. "You don't even remember why you have that power over him. Inuyasha is now bound to someone who doesn't even remember him and if you're going to take advantage of it, then it may be best for us to leave. The Kagome we know would never treat him like that, especially when he is already hurting."

Kagome just watched the three people that she didn't recognize. Each of them had a melancholy look on their face. Seeing that made Kagome feel guilty for treating Inuyasha so harshly. She had warned him, but she hadn't taken the time to think about their side of this situation. They remembered her. They could recall any times they had together, but the blank slate of Kagome's mind didn't allow her to care about that very easily.

"They are right, you know." Sesshomaru spoke up and everyone turned to him. "Your treatment of Inuyasha is deplorable. While I have a hostile relationship with him, you do not. The curse doesn't just affect you. Start behaving like an adult and think before you act."

"Alright. I'm sorry, Lord Sesshomaru." Kagome nodded and returned to her food.

"Thanks…" Inuyasha got to his feet and spoke hesitantly, suspicious of his brother's motives.

"I am curious about one of Inuyasha's questions." Miroku spoke up. Everyone turned to him as he turned to Sesshomaru. "Why didn't you return Kagome to us? You obviously had no intention of killing her. You also didn't just abandon her. Why keep her around? You hate humans."

"I'm a human." Rin said with a mouth full of fish.

"Chew." Sesshomaru told her and then looked back to Miroku. "Rin wanted to make sure she was okay. We found her laying in the middle of the forest. It looked like she was hurt. We assume she just fell because she had no lasting injury. After finding her memory gone, I was intrigued by her condition."

"You still could have brought her back or at least brought us to her." Inuyasha said angrily, trying not to incur Kagome's wrath again.

"You're right, but when Naraku came to my castle to check on her, I decided otherwise." Sesshomaru explained.

"Naraku came to your castle?" Miroku asked.

Sesshomaru nodded and began explaining the last few months he spent with Kagome from his point of view. They heard a lot of it from Rin, but that was the idealistic view of a sweet young girl. Sesshomaru was able to give them a more logical explanation of everything. During this storytelling session, however, Inuyasha walked away from the group to go sit at the edge of the river. Kagome noticed this and guilt encouraged her into getting up and walking over to him. As she stepped around in front of him, Inuyasha's attention shot up to her in fear of her "sit" commands. She didn't look hostile. Instead, she looked curious. Kagome knelt down in front of him and tilted her head. Inuyasha just stared at her. She could see the distress in his eyes.

"I'm sorry I was so mean." Kagome said and sat down to be more comfortable. "I'm sorry I don't remember any of you either. I've tried to remember my past, but every time I do something bad happens. The first time, I almost got killed by a demon. Sometimes, it really hurts my head."

"I-It's okay. You've been gone a long time." Inuyasha lowered his head and spoke contently. "I hate that you were with my brother this entire time. I know you don't fear him anymore, but he's tried to kill me so many times. I don't trust him. You've traveled with me for years, Kagome. Now, you're suddenly worshiping the ground that my brother walks on, or at least it seems like it. He hates me and I thought he hated humans. I feel like I've lost you."

"I know this sounds mean, but until my memories return, you kind of have." Kagome said and shrugged at him. There was a tinge of guilt that lay with those words, but she meant them. "I'm not the Kagome any of you knew. I trust someone you hate with my life. I don't remember you or any of them. I do remember that Lord Sesshomaru has kept me safe. He rescued me when I messed up and was attacked. He chased after me when Kagura tried taking me away and brought me back to safety. He gave me new clothes and a place to live. He taught me how to use a weapon. He also called a healer when I was hurt badly. He's not a bad man and I feel safe with him. I understand that there was a time I may have felt this way about you too. If you want to stay around, I'm fine with that, but I need time to remember or relearn what I once had. You can't expect me to automatically be on your side."

"I guess I never thought about it that way." Inuyasha said and raised his head. "I have to earn your trust again."

"Yes, that's a good way of looking at it." Kagome nodded and stood up, holding an inviting hand out to Inuyasha. "Stick around for a while, be kind to Rin, and respect Lord Sesshomaru. You think you can do that, Inuyasha?"

Inuyasha stared at the hand she offered and then smiled. He took her hand and stood up. "Yeah, I can do that, Kagome."

"Good. Now, come on." Kagome motioned for him to follow and went back to the group. As she sat down, she watched Inuyasha pass her by and walk over to Sesshomaru. He stared at his older brother for a few moments and then held his hand out to him.

"Thank you for taking care of Kagome, Sesshomaru." Inuyasha said and nodded at him. "We all appreciate it."

Sesshomaru was ready to fight with his brother if he had to. Inuyasha had more polite plans in mind though. Sesshomaru looked down to the hand Inuyasha offered, then to Kagome, who just shrugged in confusion. Sesshomaru nodded back and shook Inuyasha's hand.

"You're welcome." Sesshomaru replied suspiciously.

"So, what's the plan?" Inuyasha asked.

"We were just discussing that, actually." Miroku said.

"Kagome was sleep walking this morning before we all woke up." Sango explained what Sesshomaru told her. "Apparently, she walked to the largest tree she could find in the forest and just went back to sleep there."

"You think that has to do with the Sacred Tree?" Inuyasha caught on quickly.

"Yes, actually." Sango nodded.

"It's possible that taking her back to Kaede's village will help with something." Miroku added.

"I don't know." Inuyasha rubbed the back of his head. That didn't seem right. "If Kikyo is right about forcing her memory to return, wouldn't that count? I mean, it may be best to actually remove the curse instead of trying to jog her memories. It's a magical force holding her back, not some injury or illness."

"Inuyasha is right." Sesshomaru nodded to his brother. "Breaking magic through force can have dire consequences."

As the group stood off and talked, Kagome sat with the children. Shippo was happily showing Kagome and Rin some crayons he had. He thought it was a little fun to show Kagome something new, even though she technically was the one that got them for him. Rin really wanted to try them, so Shippo showed her an entire box full of different colors. Kagome watched the two as they started drawing up a storm.

About fifty feet away, beneath the water of the river the group was near, a familiar dark-haired demon walked on the bottom, his head only a foot from the surface. He walked easily within the current and stopped when he was at a good position. Using his demonic power, Naraku created invisible tendrils that snaked along the grass toward Kagome and the children. The first grabbed Shippo. The second grabbed Rin. The third and fourth grabbed Kagome.

"Huh?" Shippo started yelling as his body was flung toward Inuyasha. The tendril that carried him struck the half-demon, Sango, and Miroku all at once, sending them flying away from the group. Rin was tossed about a hundred feet in the air and screamed for her Dad to save her. Kagome had one tendril wrap around her mouth to keep her quiet and the other around her waist. She began being dragged quickly toward the river.

Inuyasha caught Shippo as they were all hit and shielded the boy from damage. He first checked on Sango and Miroku who went farther than he did. Sesshomaru instantly leaped into the air and caught Rin, landing gracefully in the grass and examining her for injuries. Rin clung to him shaking.

"What the hell was that?" Inuyasha asked.

"Something grabbed me!" Rin yelled, tears in her eyes.

"It grabbed me too." Shippo said and looked around. "Where's Kagome?"

The group all looked around the area. Kagome was nowhere in sight. Sesshomaru and Inuyasha went over to where she had been and noticed some drag marks along the ground leading toward the river. They followed them quickly and looked into the water. The rushing current prevented them from seeing anything below the surface and both looked down river to see where if Kagome was being dragged by the water.

Beneath the surface of the water, Kagome was wrapped tightly by something she could not see. She was dragged all the way to Naraku, who she recognized from their previous interaction. He smiled evilly at her, bringing her face close to his. He ran his hand along her cheek. She tried fighting against the grip of his tendrils, but couldn't gain any control. She started running out of breath and looked up to the surface to see shadows of both Sesshomaru and Inuyasha at the top. She wanted desperately to reach for them, but couldn't get her arms free.

"Don't worry." Naraku spoke under water and brought his hand to Kagome's throat. "I won't let you drown."

Kagome felt a sting in her throat and her eyes widened as the pain increased. A moment later, she took in a deep breath and realized she was breathing under water. She went to yell at him, but the tentacle he had over her mouth wouldn't allow it.

"Not right now. I can't have you screaming and giving away our position, now can I?" Naraku said and chuckled at her. "They can't sense me. It's a wonderful spell I got from that old priest you and Sesshomaru tried to visit. He had quite a few useful trinkets in his possession."

Naraku brought Kagome closer and wrapped his arms around her. The look in his eyes terrified Kagome. It reminded her of Kitanran, a demon she desperately wanted to forget. If she weren't underwater, Naraku would be able to see the tears coming from her eyes. Suddenly, the water around them darkened with some sort of black smoke. Kagome tried to fight again, not wanting to be enveloped by this strange cloud. She ended up breathing some of it in and her vision rapidly faded. She fell forward into Naraku's arms. He held onto her, smirking pridefully at what he had accomplished.

From the land, Inuyasha and Sesshomaru continued to look around for Kagome. Sango rode off on Kilala to look down river, but wasn't finding anything. Before Sango got too far, everyone heard a loud splash and looked toward the river again. Naraku shot up from the water laughing at their efforts to find what he had just taken from them. Everyone saw Kagome hanging from his grasp, unconscious. Sesshomaru instantly retaliated by drawing Tōkijin and jumped up to attack Naraku. A barrier of light blue energy surrounded Naraku and sent Sesshomaru back to the ground.

"Hahaha. Not this time, Sesshomaru." Naraku said and lifted Kagome up to his face. Naraku taunted the entire group by nuzzling against her skin, a sight that appalled them all. "I'll be taking care of her now. Take solace in the fact that she won't remember **any** of you."

"Let her go." Inuyasha tried the same as Sesshomaru, but was also knocked back down.

"No." Sango flew toward Naraku, tears flying from her eyes as she tried something desperate. She jumped off of Kilala's back, aiming for Kagome's hand. "You're not taking her away from us again!" Sango somehow made it through the barrier and grabbed Kagome's hand.

"Two for the price of one. How fun." Naraku said as she smirked down at Sango, who was now hanging from him. A portal opened behind Naraku.

"SANGO LET GO." Miroku yelled desperately. Kilala tried getting to Sango, but was thrown back by the blue barrier.

"I AM NOT LETTING HER GO AGAIN." Sango said as she and Kagome were both taken through the portal with Naraku. Within moments, it closed.

Kilala landed with a burn on her forehead. Inuyasha slammed Tetsusaiga in the ground and yelled at the top of his lungs. Miroku fell to his knees and watched the point in the sky where the woman he loved and one of his closest friends were taken by his worst enemy.

"Damn him." Sesshomaru cursed and stood silently, eyes closed as he tried to control his anger.

 **A/N: Alright guys. I'm in need of a little guidance here. I've been enjoying telling this story and people have told me they enjoy it as well. However, there are more than a few things I've learned I'm unhappy with. It mainly has to do with the story's organization, lack of information in certain areas, rushed character development, and a few other things. I've been thinking about rewriting it from the beginning with more a more coherent path.**

 **I don't want to upset anyone though, so what do you guys think? Should I continue this story as it is or should I begin a rewrite? I'd like to hear from you on it. Just toss up a review with your opinion on the matter and I'll figure things out from there. Thank you all.**


	15. Chapter 15

**A/N: I am so sorry it took this long to get a chapter up, but after I expressed to my readers that I was having a hard time with this story continuing, I was encouraged to keep trying. The result was months of not knowing how to continue it right. I've rewritten this chapter probably 20 times now. Finally, it is something I feel comfortable putting up. I hope you all enjoy.**

Chapter Fifteen: In the Enemy's Grasp

On the other side of the portal, everything was dark. Naraku appeared in one of the rooms of his castle, floating about ten feet in the air. As they made it through, Sango couldn't hold onto Kagome any longer and she slipped. She fell to the ground and looked furiously up at Naraku. The evil half-demon lowered himself to the ground and smiled at Sango, the evil look in his eyes sending shivers up her spine.

"Let Kagome go!" Sango demanded and charged him suddenly. No longer invisible, one of his large tentacles swung across and struck Sango in the side. She fell and rolled along the ground until her body hit a sturdy wall. Sango shook as she tried to lift herself from the ground, holding her ribs when pain shot through them. She winced and looked up from her spot on the floor, glaring angrily at the half-demon before her.

"I'll deal with you soon." Naraku said and walked Kagome over to a bed to lay her down. Naraku was treating Kagome gently and even brushed her hair from her face. The sight was disturbing and only made things clearer that Naraku had some sort of plan up his sleeve.

Sango took a look around the room to realize where they were. The room was large and in the center was a "U" shaped stairway that led to a huge bed that sat against the wall. It looked like some sort of royal bedroom, like what could be expected of Sesshomaru's bedroom, but with more darkness. Other than the bed, a few dressers and cabinets, and candles to light up the room, it lacked anything that made it feel like a real room.

Sango was finally able to bring herself to her feet and slowly walked toward Naraku. There was a look in Naraku's eyes that made things worse: infatuation, attraction, desire… Sango couldn't figure out which one it was, but the thought of Naraku and Kagome being a couple was terrifying.

"She will be mine." Naraku muttered as he leaned over and pressed his lips against Kagome's forehead.

"S-Stop that." Sango demanded through pain as she stepped toward him again. "Kagome will never be yours."

"That is where you're wrong, Sango." Naraku turned toward the hurt demon slayer. "I'll erase her memories again and this time everything will work out. I hadn't expected Sesshomaru to interfere before. That was a miscalculation on my pa-"

Kagome stirred from her sleep and sat up, catching the attention of the other two. Sango tried moving over to Kagome's side, but Naraku stopped her with one of his large tentacles. He pushed her back much more softly than before and turned to Kagome, while using the tentacle to keep Sango pinned. It was obvious Naraku did not want to turn Kagome against him for this upcoming plot.

"What are you doing?" Kagome shouted at him when she noticed Naraku barring Sango from her. "Let her go!"

"She won't be harmed as long as you behave." Naraku held a hand out toward Kagome and smiled. "Come with me, Kagome."

The darkness in Naraku's eyes was powerful enough to pierce Kagome's soul. She took his hand out of fear and was suddenly pulled to her feet. She whimpered as he began dragging her over to the corner of the room. Kagome pulled back from him, but his grip was firm.

"Let me go." Kagome begged, trying to pull away from him.

"Shut up." Naraku jerked Kagome forward and suddenly threw her into the corner.

"Stop it! Let her go, you bastard!" Sango shouted and rushed at Naraku as she unsheathed her katana. Naraku instantly reacted with a strong strike at Sango's body, swinging one of his large fleshy tentacles at her. Sango tensed as she was struck and sent flying across the room. Her body slammed into the floor hard enough that the wood broke. Naraku struck again, bringing the same tentacle down on Sango's chest. Sango screamed in pain as her body was crushed, knocking the breath from her lungs. Sango struggled to breathe, the pain too much, even when Naraku's onslaught stopped.

"Don't hurt her!" Kagome screamed, begging for Naraku to stop.

"Silence." Naraku demanded, grabbing onto Kagome's hair and forcing her to look at him. "This time, you won't get away from me."

"What are you going to do to me?" Kagome asked, her voice shaking in fear.

"You'll see soon enough." Naraku forced Kagome to the floor by her hair again. He stood over her and pushed her body harshly into the ground. He pressed his foot into Kagome's back to pin her down. As this was done, he pulled out a strange dagger. The blade was hard to see, especially in the darkness of this room. It looked like air swirling around so quickly it formed a visual blade. Naraku placed this blade to the back of Kagome's head and began muttering words that neither Kagome or Sango could understand. When Naraku began lowering the blade to Kagome's head, Sango began yelling and begging him not to. She tried to move, but couldn't. Kagome turned her head, but Naraku forced it back into place.

"Please… don't do this." Kagome begged as well, but Naraku didn't stop. Whatever incantation he was muttering finished and he pressed the blade into Kagome's skull.

Sango shrieked in fear as she watched Kagome's eyes dilate and roll to the back of her head. Though the blade entered her head, there was no blood. There was no wound or any visual injury at all. Kagome's body fell to the ground and Naraku pulled the blade back. He stood up and put it away, picking Kagome up a moment later and laying her back in the bed.

"Kagura." Naraku called out and Kagura came in a few moments later. "Throw Sango in a cell."

"Fine." Kagura walked over to Sango and nudged her with her foot. "Get up. I don't have all day."

"Kagome… What did you do to her?" Sango looked Naraku directly in the eyes.

"The same thing I did last time. I've ripped her memories away." Naraku looked back to Kagome, gently caressing the unconscious woman's face with his hand. "Once again, she is a blank slate. I will teach her who she is, who she loves, and who her friends really are. And when she helped me gather the rest of the sacred jewel shards, I will become full demon and she will bear me a son."

"That's what this is all about?" Kagura asked in disgust. "You want her as your mate?"

"Tell me, Kagura… What is more powerful than a child birthed by a reincarnated priestess and a demon crafted by a wish upon the Sacred Jewel?" Naraku said and smirked. "Once the child comes of age, I will place my consciousness into his body. I will finally live a full life and be unstoppable."

"You're despicable." Sango spat angrily, pushing herself to stand.

"Despicable, but clever." Kagura complimented as she grabbed Sango by the hair.

Too weak to fight anymore, Sango was dragged out of the room by Kagura. When Sango struggled to keep up, Kagura pulled her hair harder and yelled to get her moving. Sango looked back to Kagome once more before her friend left her sight and she was taken to Naraku's dungeon.

Kagome slept for hours, a full day passing her by before she finally opened her eyes. Naraku rarely left the room, hovering over her like a vulture, watching every move she may have made. When he heard her stir, he rushed over to her side and sat down, taking her hand in his and quickly bringing up his new façade. As he was about to lay it on and do his best to convince her he was on her side, her noticed something familiar. The look in her eyes was void, almost lifeless. She looked like Kanna.

"Kagome, how are you feeling?" He asked kindly, but got no response.

Kagome laid in the bed silently, not moving a muscle in her body, but her unfocused eyes pointed forward to the ceiling above the bed. Naraku asked her again, but there was no change.

"KAGURA!" Naraku suddenly shouted, his anger echoing throughout the wooden walls of his castle.

"Yes?" Kagura came in quickly to make sure he wasn't waiting too long.

"Find the priest." Naraku ordered.

"What? Why? I'm sure he's moved by now. Your last encounter-…"

"I. Do. Not. Care. Find him." Naraku hissed through his teeth. "I believe the curse may have backfired."

"Is that possible?" Kagura questioned.

"It may have stripped away more memory than I intended." Naraku explained and then glared at Kagura. "She's behaving like a mindless doll. A corpse has more personality. Now, go, Kagura."

"If you insist." Kagura rolled her eyes and left.

Once Kagura left, Naraku watched Kagome. The anger rose within him. His plan was falling apart and he wasn't sure how he could fix it. He wrestled different ideas in his head, most of them not working out how he'd prefer, so when his rage finally hit it's peak, he slapped Kagome's face. Her head turned, a tear sprouted, and she curled up into a fetal position. It was the most lively she had been and that angered him even more. He decided that she'd be perfect to take his anger out on and began hitting her more. He pulled her hair and dragged her off the bed. She hit the floor with a hard thud and he threw her across the room. He brought out his power and struck her with his large fleshy tentacles over and over again. He could hear and feel her body breaking and she began to cry out and scream. When he was about to land a final blow with as much strength as he could muster, he stopped.

"That's better." Naraku said.

Kagome was looking at him with tears in her eyes, a life having returned to them. Her eyes were not longer the image of his voided incarnation, but of a normal person. Kagome's body was trembling on the ground. Her arm began to move until she was reaching out to him, as if she were trying to reach him, but then her body gave out and she fell unconscious in the middle of the floor. Naraku wrapped a tentacle around her and walked out of the room, down a couple halls, down some stairs, and into the dungeon he was keeping Sango in. He slammed the door open and went to her cell.

"Congratulations." Naraku said as he opened the metal cage. "You get her back after all."

Naraku threw Kagome's broken body into the cage. Kagome rolled along the floor, her body contorting enough to show Sango that she was horribly hurt. The room was so dark it was hard to tell. A single torch above her cell door is all that gave her light, besides a small window that she couldn't fit her head through. Sango moved over to Kagome, scared to touch her friend.

"What… did you do?" Sango asked, tears welling in her eyes.

Naraku chose not to answer. The horrified look on Sango's face was enough. He turned and walked out of the dungeon, closing the cellar door behind him and leaving it a couple shades darker.

"Oh… g-god…" Sango said through sobs as she adjusted her friend to lay comfortably, "Kagome…"

Touching Kagome was hard for Sango to do. Each time Sango moved her she could feel the broken bones in Kagome's body moving unnaturally and it was tearing her heart apart. This was a type of broken that Sango had never seen before. It was like her skeleton had been shattered beneath the skin. Sango got Kagome to lay flat on her back and that was about it. She didn't feel right being near her, so she just kept her distance, watching Kagome sweat and struggle to breathe on the cold floor.

The first time Kagome woke up, she screamed and she cried. There was nothing more she could do. Her mind was blank, no memories to remind her that Sango was there for her. She had no hope to hold onto. Kagome's inability to show anything toward Sango made things worse. Sango found herself crying too, curled in a corner, and holding her hands over her ears to try to drown Kagome's cries out. What felt like hours went by before Kagome finally tired herself out and fell asleep. Sango prayed she wouldn't wake up again. The amount of pain her friend was in must have been immeasurable.

Days went by and Naraku never came. Kanna would bring them food, but that was all the company they'd receive. Kagome woke up a few times and after the second or third, wouldn't scream anymore. She was getting use to the pain now, something that broke Sango's heart.

Finally, the door to this dark and damp dungeon opened and Naraku stepped down the stairs, a man Sango didn't recognize following him. Naraku stopped in front of their cage and looked back to the strange man. He opened the cage door and pushed the man in, causing him to fall to Kagome's side.

"Fix it." Naraku demanded.

"How am I supposed to fix this?" The man said, his eyes wide in horror as he saw Kagome's condition. He went to try and touch her, but didn't dare actually make contact. He recoiled from her broken form.

"You've got healing powers and you know about this curse. Fix it now, old man." Naraku said.

"You…" Sango spoke up angrily, "You're the one who gave him this curse?"

"Gave? No, my child. He stole it, killed many to get it." The Priest shook his head and glared back to Naraku, "The injuries this child has are wretched. It would take at least a week for me to heal her completely, along with ingredients I no longer have since you burned my temple to the ground."

"What do you need?" Naraku asked.

"I'll give you the list, but this won't be easy." The Priest said. "I'm surprised she has not succumbed to her injuries already. I suspect this is because you seemed to have intentionally prevented her from losing blood, though, she may be bleeding inside. I do not know."

"Please… save her." Sango begged.

"I will try." The Priest nodded.

"And what of her memories? The curse? How do I fix it?" Naraku asked.

"I warned you that the memory curse is not easily broken." The Priest stood up and shouted at Naraku, "You sheer away a piece of her soul each time this is done, not just her memories. You described this young woman as a priestess, or the reincarnation of one. You've probably destroyed her power because of it. The entire plan you spoke of, you've destroyed it yourself through foolish action."

"Insolent Priest, I suggest you answer my question. My patience is growing thin." Naraku narrowed his eyes angrily. The priest took a step back and then sighed, realizing he couldn't fight.

"Break the blade." The Priest said.

"What?" Naraku replied, an eyebrow raised.

"If you want her memories to return, her soul to be whole again, you'll need to break the blade that you used to take them away in the first place." The Priest explained further, "It will not be an easy task, so you will have to decide how important your plan is to you."

"My plan is more important than anything." Naraku exclaimed in determination.

"If that is true, then to break the blade, you will have to use the power of a holy person and a demon to shatter it." The Priest explained, "Using their power to disrupt the energy within the blade will cause it to shatter and release any energy, memories, and souls that it has collected over the years."

Naraku took the time to think on the method the Priest explained. He knew it would be difficult to enact this plan since the only demons powerful enough for that were Sesshomaru and one of the other three leaders within the lands. He knew immediately that he couldn't do it. He was, indeed, a half-demon. The only holy person powerful enough to take on this endeavor was this Priest, Kagome, or Kikyo.

"Then you will stay in my castle until this is done." Naraku said.

"If you think I can break it, no. I am not powerful enough anymore. My staff was broken in your initial assault and diminished much of my power." The Priest shook his head as he explained.

"So, Kagome or Kikyo." Naraku muttered.

Naraku and the Priest kept talking amongst themselves as if Sango wasn't even there, and then they walked out of the room. Sango realized they were ignoring her presence and chose to stay silent. Because of that, she now knew what to do to save Kagome from this horrible fate. As long as the Priest could heal Kagome's body, Sango would work on healing her mind and soul.

.

.

The days that passed Inuyasha and the rest by were filled with doubt and sadness. Sesshomaru and Inuyasha decided to call a truce until they could get Kagome back, for the children's sake. Rin and Shippo barely spoke. They couldn't help but think about Kagome and Sango being with that monster. Rin had nightmares every night. This was something that Sesshomaru did not know how to handle, so when Shippo chose to stay near her, and this proved to comfort the girl, he was secretly thankful.

Another morning came and the group woke to an uncomfortable silence. Everyone packed up camp and began searching for Naraku's castle. They had been pushing themselves so much in the last two days that Kilala could no longer walk. She sat on Miroku's shoulder. Inuyasha and Sesshomaru seemed fine, but Inuyasha was exhausted and Sesshomaru was becoming frustrated. They both were pretending to be completely fine to make sure the other only saw strength within them.

"My feet hurt." Rin said in almost a whisper.

"Rin." Sesshomaru stopped and turned to the young girl. As she looked up to him, he bent down and picked her up, choosing to carry her along. However, he noticed something at her feet. There was a small bit of blood at the bottom, so he gently turned them so he could see. "How long have you been walking with these cuts on the bottom of your feet?"

"Since yesterday… I stepped on some sharp rocks." Rin explained.

"You should not be walking while injured." Sesshomaru said and sighed. She had been walking barefoot since he met her. He never thought to put something on her feet, which was stupid since he had something to protect him in that manner. "I'll have some footwear made for you as soon as I can."

"Thanks, Daddy." Rin said and laid her head on his chest.

"Never thought I'd see you become a Dad." Inuyasha said, though he never looked back to his brother. There was a tinge of jealousy in his voice, especially after Rin's exclamation before. He couldn't help but wonder whether something more was going on between Sesshomaru and Kagome. If there was, would Kagome really choose his brother? Or was it just a result of her losing her memory?

"I never planned on having a child." Sesshomaru replied calmly, "I'm not sure it is something you truly can plan. It is something that just happens. Whether it happens by bond or blood, I cherish it."

"Hey, Inuyasha." Shippo hurried up to pull on the man's pantleg.

"Yeah?" Inuyasha looked back to Shippo.

"I have a question about all of this." Shippo crossed his arms and thought hard. "Naraku tried to convince Kagome that they were close, like we all are. Do you think he's trying to get Kagome to love him instead of us? What kind of plan requires someone like Naraku to have Kagome love _him?"_

"I don't know, Shippo. If I'm being honest…" Inuyasha took a deep breath and sighed, "That's what terrifies me the most. I can't imagine what Naraku has up his sleeve… The only thing I can be thankful for is that, if he truly needs Kagome, he's keeping her alive and he won't hurt Sango because that will anger her. He can't convince Kagome they're friends if he hurts her at all."

"That's what I'm hoping for as well." Miroku said sadly, his eyes to the floor.

They all continued walking, but there was very little talking after that. They had little to go on to find Naraku. The fact that he escaped through a portal gave them no direction. The half-demon monster was obviously becoming more powerful, so they were going to need to be extra careful now.


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter 16: A Break for Freedom

As more time went by, Sango sat quietly in her cell, coming up with a plan to get the dagger away from Naraku. If it was in the same place as before, she'd find it in the corner of what she assumed was Naraku's bedroom. She needed to get to that room. Once she did, she'd take Kagome and get out of here. Now that she understood how to break the blade, she was confident that she could get Kagome back to normal. There was only one problem: Kagome's body was broken. She had to wait for the priest to heal her. It had been a couple of days and the priest had all the materials gathered.

When they came and took Kagome from the cell, the priest made it very clear that this was going to take time, so Sango waited patiently. Every day, Kanna brought her food and water. There was a time she was brought a wet cloth to clean up with, a gesture she assumed the priest had asked Naraku to show. With nothing more to do, Sango began daily exercises to stay in shape. She had begun to weaken and that would do Kagome no good.

Eight days went by since Kagome was taken. Sango could sense holy power above her constantly humming through the castle walls. On this eighth day, however, there was a change. Sango could not sense Naraku. He left or was hidden somehow, but his miasma had lessened enough for her to feel a breath of fresh air. As she sat in her cell, she heard the cellar door open and moved over to the gate. The priest made his appearance, quickly rushing down the wooden steps and over to her. He unlocked the cell and opened the door, helping Sango to her feet.

"Listen carefully, my child. Naraku has left, but will be back in a few hours." The Priest began explaining things quickly. "This feels too convenient. He's left the blade here in the open. The young woman, Kagome, is practically fully healed. He's sent Kagura and the young demon off."

"What's his game?" Sango asked.

"I do not know, but there is no better time than now." The Priest said and led Sango up the stairs as quickly as he could. "The blade is sitting on an altar next to your friend. Once I stop the ritual, she will wake, but her mind will still be a blank slate. Do you have a way of traveling from here quickly?"

"No, I don't." Sango said, shaking her head.

The two hurried into the next room. Kagome was laying in a large stone bath, surrounded by herbs, crystals, and water so pure that Sango dared not touch it. Her body was as Sango remembered it normally being, allowing Sango a moment of joyful relief. 

"You did it." Sango said, wiping a tear from her eye.

"I do try to keep my word. Now," The Priest grabbed the strange cursed blade and handed it to Sango while it was in its sheath. "Take this. Take my horse. You need to get as far away from here as possible. When you want her memories to return, break the blade using the demonic energy of a powerful demon and the holy energy of a powerful priestess. They must each hold an end and send their power into the blade. It will hurt, but the blade will break and every memory, every soul that has been sheered away and into this blade will move on to its rightful place."

"Why did you keep such a thing?" Sango asked, looking disgusted at the blade in her hand.

"It was never meant for things like this." The Priest said in sadness. "It was meant to allow those who experienced terrible traumas or were truly repentant for past sins to gain second chances, to move on, and to start more peaceful lives. It wasn't meant to be a curse."

"I see." Sango said and tied the blade into the sash on her hip. "Alright. Can we go now?"

"Yes." The Priest nodded and went to stand at the altar. He took the steps to stop the ritual. The light that was shining from the water around Kagome slowly faded. Sango went over to the bath and dragged Kagome out. The priest helped her and they both quickly carried Kagome's unconscious body outside. The Priest ran to grab his horse. Once he returned, he helped Sango and onto it and then Kagome. They used a rope to tie Kagome to Sango's back so she wouldn't fall off. The Priest also suddenly appeared with a small pack and handed it to Sango. "Good luck."

"What about you?" Sango asked as she took the pack and tied it to the horse's saddle.

"I will try to escape, but without the horse, I fear I may not be able to." The Priest said, smiling.

"But… Naraku will kill you." Sango said sadly.

"And that is just fine. I'm old and after all of this, my time in this world is over." The Priest reassured Sango.

Sango felt guilty just leaving, but she was not going to risk Kagome's life when this Priest was willing to sacrifice himself for her. The two said their goodbyes as dark clouds began forming overhead. In fear of it being Naraku, Sango left the Priest behind and rushed off on horseback. She charged down a dirt path, Kagome tightly bound to her own back so she wouldn't fall. She didn't take a moment to look back and kept heading west.

"That was much easier than I thought." Naraku's voice echoed out from behind the Priest.

"You're too late. The girl is gone." The Priest smirked at the evil half-demon.

"If I wanted to catch them, I could. They couldn't outrun me on a mere horse." Naraku said, chuckling menacingly.

"So, I was right. This was too convenient." The Priest said, glaring at Naraku.

"Of course. Do you really believe I'd leave the blade out in the open so carelessly without it being part of my plan?" Naraku said as he stepped up to the Priest, his tall stature towering over the poor old man. "Sango will tell them how to break the blade. Kagome will return to normal and this will begin again. I may not have the blade to wipe Kagome's memory away, but I've recently found something better." 

"What… are you planning?" The Priest asked fearfully.

"Nothing you need to know. Kagura." Naraku called out and Kagura stepped up behind him. "Lock the Priest in his own room and make sure he is taken care of just like Sango was. We need him comfortable for what is coming."

"Of course, Naraku." Kagura said and motioned for the Priest to follow.

The old man hesitated, but followed Kagura anyway. He was led to a regular bedroom with everything a single person would need. The Priest looked around the room and then sat on the bed. Tears fell down his cheeks as guilt over took him.

"What have I done…"

.

.

Sango didn't stop for six hours. She pushed the horse too long and too far. Suddenly, the horse collapsed beneath her and she and Kagome went flying over top of him. Sango did her best to be the one to land on the ground, preventing Kagome from getting hurt. She quickly untied the rope that bound them and grabbed the sack that the Priest gave her. The horse was out of breath and laying on the ground, barely moving. It wasn't dead, thankfully. Horses, especially trained ones, had a lot of endurance, but this horse must not have been trained like the war horses she was used to.

"Just rest…" Sango said. "Hopefully we've made it far enough."

Sango took this time to lay Kagome down comfortably when she realized Kagome's eyes were open. Looking at Kagome was terrifying. She looked like a living doll. There was no real emotion on her face and her eyes looked lifeless. The only thing that made her seem alive was the fact that she was breathing. She didn't just remind Sango of Kanna like this, but was actually worse than that. Kanna spoke. Kanna moved on her own. Kanna walked. Kagome was just a doll. Still, she powered through that uncomfortableness and made sure Kagome laid down normally.

Sango opened up the bag and realized the Priest had packed her and Kagome some food and water. She ate and drank a bit. Then, she tried to get Kagome to eat, but that didn't take. Sango did get her to drink though. The rest went to the horse. After some time, the horse finally began moving and stood up. It took about twenty minutes for Sango to get Kagome up on the horse. Either the horse would move or Kagome's rag dolling threw Sango off balance and they would fall. When she finally got her up there, she gave up on the idea of getting on the horse too. Instead, she used the rope to tie Kagome onto the horse's saddle. It wasn't comfortable, but Sango could not carry Kagome and didn't want to risk another fall.

Taking the reins in her hand, Sango led the horse along a dirt road, hoping to come to a village sometime soon. After a while of the hot afternoon sun beating down on her, Sango heard someone call out her name. She was hungry and thirsty. She was tired, sweaty, and felt weak. She couldn't figure out how much time had gone by, but it must have been a while since it was dawn when she escaped Naraku's castle. Again, she heard someone call out her name, but didn't have the strength to look up. She realized that even though she kept in shape, she was still not at one hundred percent because of her time in Naraku's cell. Once more, someone called out her name and Sango finally stopped walking. She raised her head and focused.

"Inuyasha… Miroku…" Sango muttered.

"Sango!" Miroku shouted and ran up to the woman he loved, but stopped about five feet away. "Sango, are you alright?"

Everyone appeared before her. Inuyasha, Miroku, Shippo, Rin, and Sesshomaru. For the first time in a little too long, Sango felt safe. She looked between them, obviously weak from the journey. As Miroku went to step to her, Sango's eyes rolled to the back of her head, her legs gave out, and she fell forward. Miroku and Inuyasha both moved to catch her and laid her down in the grass on the side of the dirt road. Sesshomaru took this time to untie Kagome from the horse and carry her over next to Sango. Kagome's eyes opened as her head hit the grass.

"Kagome." Sesshomaru said, but got no response.

"Kagome!" Inuyasha came over and repeated.

"Stop." Sango begged. She woke up and looked over to them. "She doesn't remember anything."

"We know th-…" Miroku started.

"N-No." Sango said and began crying as she grabbed onto the cursed dagger. "She doesn't remember **anything,** Miroku. She doesn't remember her name, us, her family, her past, anything. Naraku did it again. He used this cursed dagger to rip away her memories… What he did to her." Sango began sobbing heavily, covering her face with the arm of the hand that gripped the dagger. "Her body was broken. He **destroyed** her. All she did was scream and cry for hours and hours. He beat her so badly that her bones felt like shattered glass. I couldn't help her. She didn't remember me, so all she did was scream."

No one else knew what to say. Miroku wanted to comfort Sango, but he couldn't figure out how. He sat down next to her and pulled her up into a tight hug. Sango leaned into him and continued to sob. It got so bad she could barely breathe. She had been so scared that she and Kagome were going to die there. The two of them were in the clutches of their worst enemy for so long that now that she was out, she felt all the fear at once. It was like she had been under the constant effects of adrenaline rushing through her veins and only now was she able to calm down.

"But… she looks okay now." Shippo questioned suddenly.

"That's because the Priest that originally took care of this dagger healed her." Sango said and wiped the tears from her eyes, forcing herself to stop crying for now. "Naraku wanted Kagome healed so he could try again. He was around every day until today. He just left the castle, left the dagger, and left Kagome and I there. If I'm being honest, I think it's a trap of some sort. I don't know what, but he's not stupid enough for us to accidentally escape so easily… However, I do know one thing." Sango looked down to the dagger with confidence. "We can break the curse. I know how to do it."

"You do?" Shippo and Rin said in unison, both excited about the news.

"I do. We'll need your Dad and Kikyo." Sango said, first looking to Sesshomaru and then to Inuyasha. "The Priest told me that we need to break the blade using the power of a full-demon and a priestess. The dagger will break and all the memories and souls it has collected will return to where they belong."

"Nice work, Sango!" Inuyasha said excitedly.

"Where do we find her?" Sesshomaru asked.

"I don't know." Inuyasha shook his head.

"How did you all find us?" Sango asked.

"Naraku's barrier weakened. His miasma is all over this valley." Sesshomaru explained.

"That's… strange." Sango said and thought to herself for a moment. "Guys, this has to be a trap. He practically brought you to us and let us walk out of there with the blade he's been using, and he did this after Kagome was fully healed. I won't be surprised if we run into Kikyo soon at this rate."

"Why do you say that?" Miroku asked.

"Because Naraku knows that Kikyo is needed to break the blade. I'm pretty sure he's also figured out that Sesshomaru is involved in all of this too." Sango explained. "That's how the curse is broken: Sesshomaru and Kikyo using their powers to break the blade."

"He's bringing us together on purpose." Sesshomaru sighed.

"He'll probably strike the moment the curse is broken." Miroku added.

"We can't leave Kagome like this though." Shippo shouted fearfully.

"We won't. Kagome isn't even Kagome right now." Sango said, looking over her shoulder at her doll-like friend. "I'd rather risk Naraku's attack than leave her incomplete. We need to find Kikyo, but first… I can't… I need to rest. I need something to eat and some water."

The group wasted no time. They took the horse to a nearby village and sold it off for some food and a place to stay for a couple of days. While Sango recovered, the group was faced with a few difficult obstacles. Firstly, getting Kagome to eat and drink was practically impossible.

"It's been two days! It's like she's not even hungry." Inuyasha said in frustration, slamming a wooden cup on the ground.

"This curse did more than just strip away memory." Sesshomaru said.

"What do you mean?" Sango asked.

"It's just a theory, but I believe someone without their memories would still move, think, and feel." Sesshomaru explained. "Kagome doesn't make a noise. She doesn't seem uncomfortable. I thought she'd act like a newborn. Instead, she's practically lifeless."

"The Priest did mention something about tearing at her soul." Sango said with a sigh. "It's possible her powers won't work right after all of this too."

Suddenly, Inuyasha shot up from his spot and looked out the door. He sniffed the air and rushed out of the hut in a hurry. Sesshomaru sniffed the air as well and realized where his younger brother had gone.

"Kikyo is close. I assume he's gone to get her." Sesshomaru said, but noticed the odd look Miroku and Sango gave each other. "What?"

"When Inuyasha normally runs off to Kikyo, it's never a good thing." Miroku said.

"Yeah, idiot can't make up his mind between being with Kagome or being with Kikyo." Sango explained further, her tone filled with annoyance. "Inuyasha runs off toward Kikyo every time he catches her scent. He never cares how it hurts Kagome and ignores all the sacrifices she has made to help him get what he wants: The Sacred Jewel. Inuyasha's a fool. If Kagome choose you, he'll deserve it."

"I think Kagome should choose Dad anyways." Rin said and then pointed at Shippo. "I'll have a brother if she does. I've always wanted a brother or sister."

"This fantasy you all seem to be having, about Kagome and I, needs to stop." Sesshomaru sighed and leaned against the hut wall. "I don't even know anything about the woman."

"What do you mean? You spent so much time with Kagome!" Rin asked, confused.

"I spent time with a woman who only knew her name because we told her." Sesshomaru explained to the young girl. "There is no telling what type of person she actually is beyond that. Besides, I have no interest in being with a human."

"You're lying!" Rin shouted and ran angrily out of the hut.

Everyone watched Rin disappear through the doorway. Sesshomaru sighed and leaned his head against the wall, crossing his arms. There was a silence between everyone, but Shippo wanted to ask more questions. The young fox walked up to Sesshomaru and tapped his leg.

"Hey…" Shippo said nervously, and Sesshomaru looked down to him, "Why does Rin think you're lying?"

"She's a child." Sesshomaru said.

"So? Just because we're young, doesn't mean we're stupid." Shippo stated adamantly. "Something tells me there is something going on between you and my Momma. Even if you don't wanna admit it, you have already shown that you care about her, at least a little bit. Once she was back with us, there was no reason for you to stick around if you didn't care. Right, Sango?"

"Um… Well, yeah." Sango nodded and looked to Sesshomaru. "He's not wrong."

"Humans." Sesshomaru rolled his eyes. "The child is likely connecting my ability to care for her, as a human, to my ability to possibly care for your friend. What Rin desires is a romantic and loving relationship between Kagome and myself, like my Father had with Inuyasha's mother. What Rin does not understand is that I am not my Father. While I have accepted her in my life, as someone I care very much for and have accepted the role of Father over, that does not mean I can or will accept a human woman as a lifelong mate. I would hope, that as adults in this situation, both of you can understand the situation I am in. I rule the Western Lands. I am to take a powerful demon mate and birth an heir. Even my Father knew that enough to conceive me before he fell in-love with Inuyasha's Mother."

"Wait, so you're saying that your Father had you… out of obligation?" Sango asked.

"Yes." Sesshomaru said and looked off toward an open window. "I am sure he had no care for my Mother at all and I felt little care from him as I grew as well. This is normal for demons."

"I understand the tradition. Power is more important that love." Miroku said. "Though, I must ask, as you grew up and felt this neglect from your Father, were you happy? And if not, which I have a feeling is the answer, why would you choose to put your own child through the same fate?"

"Explain?" Sesshomaru requested.

"Were you happy growing up?" Miroku asked.

"Not particularly." Sesshomaru admitted.

"If a part of your unhappiness came from the lack of compassion you felt from your parents, why would you follow that same tradition that seems to only feed unhappy people?" Miroku questioned, but was met with a stoic stare from Sesshomaru. "By following that same tradition, you create yet another demon child who is unhappy, who realizes that his Father had him out of obligation, and who grows up to do the same thing and forever perpetuate this depressing bloodline of powerful demons. Would it not be better to be the one to break tradition and teach further generations that what they feel is just as important as how much power and knowledge they obtain?"

"You're saying to do what my Father did and claim a mate out of love?" Sesshomaru asked.

"I think it would be better for you, the child, and for future generations." Miroku said and then continued on his explanation. "Imagine demons of all types, full-blooded and half-blooded, weak and powerful, choosing to change the way your mating rituals work and living happier lives. By merely being happier in life, a lot of violence could end. I've learned through my travels that when a human is unhappy, they make bad decisions, like thievery and murder, to get the things they feel are denied to them. They become horrible people that need to be stopped. If they were happier in life, this could have been prevented. Of course, this would work with many humans. I am not sure about demons."

"It's possible. Our culture is so deeply set in power and destruction that I am not sure how such a shift would impact our very nature." Sesshomaru said, and for a brief moment was sounding like he was considering Miroku's explanations as possibilities. "What the hell are you trying to do?"

"Um, what?" Miroku blinked in surprise at the sudden tone change.

"Is there a reason you're trying to convince me of this?" Sesshomaru questioned, an eyebrow raised at the two before him. "Are you also in support of this childish notion of Kagome and myself?"

"What? No." Miroku said and waved it off, but then all eyes fell on Sango.

"What? I'm not against it. Inuyasha treats her like crap." Sango crossed her arms. "Besides, I've never seen her lean on Inuyasha the way she leans on you. Well, she has, but he's such a jerk that he pushes her away and acts like a five-year-old wanting to avoid contact with a girl. I'm tired of him hurting her."

"They're here." Sesshomaru warned and the entire hut shifted focus.

"Kagome always brings me new crayons from her time." Shippo, who had become the master of subject changes for all of their sakes, held up a few older crayons to show Sesshomaru. "They're these writing things and make really pretty pictures."

"Are you seriously showing off your crayons to Sesshomaru?" Inuyasha said as he entered to the hut, Kikyo and Rin both following right behind him. "I doubt he's interested in any of that stuff."

"I can show him whatever I want!" Shippo shouted back at Inuyasha.

"Yeah, whatever." Inuyasha said.

Inuyasha pointed Kikyo toward Kagome, whose silence was unnerving to everyone. At times, they forgot she was there. She didn't really move, speak, or make any other noises. At times, her body would shift and catch the eye of those in the hut, but she'd freeze soon after.

Kikyo greeted everyone and stepped over to Kagome, kneeling by the girl to check on her. Kikyo did a quick examination and confirmed that Kagome was physically alright, but her soul was fading.

"No wonder I've felt so weak lately. We need to do this fast." Kikyo said.

"What do you mean? Why?" Sango asked.

"Remember, part of the reason I still stand is because Kagome's soul is also held within my body, acting as an energy source and a vessel for my memories. As she weakens, as her soul fades from the use of this blade that Inuyasha spoke of…" Kikyo held out her hand as Inuyasha handed it to her. "I also become weaker. If I'm being honest, I think my vessel holding part of her soul is the only reason why her heart still beats. If I were not here, the second use of this blade would have killed her and forever trapped her soul in the blade. Fortunately, you seem to have a method of destroying it?"

"Yes, the Priest who originally guarded it told me that using the power of a demon and a priestess is the only way of returning Kagome to normal." Sango explained. "You send your energy into the blade at the same time, causing some sort of backlash and the blade should break."

"Yes, I understand." Kikyo nodded. "We must find a safe place to do this. Depending on the amount of energy in that blade, breaking it may cause a lot of damage. We can't be near a village and it may be best for the children to stay behind as well."

"What? No, I wanna come!" Rin said.

"Yeah, so do I. Why can't we come?" Shippo asked.

"If the breaking of this cursed blade released the amount of energy that I believe it will release, it is not safe for anyone near it. I'd honestly recommend everyone, excluding Sesshomaru and myself, to stay back for the sake of their own lives." Kikyo said and held the blade up for them to see. "Everyone… Stay silent, close your eyes, and listen. I am surprised Sesshomaru has not picked up on it yet."

Everyone closed their eyes and stayed silent. It took a few moments, but after shushing Inuyasha once and trying again, they could hear it. There was a low whistling in the air at first, like the wind moving through buildings, but a moment later, those whistles turned into voices, screaming voices calling out and begging for help. There were dozens of different voices coming from the blade. The souls of humans and demons alike, were sheered away from their bodies and stored in there.

"That's creepy." Shippo said.

"Yeah, scary." Rin hid behind Sesshomaru.

"Those are the many souls that have been locked in here, fighting to get out for an amount of time that none of us could know." Kikyo said.

"And Kagome's soul is locked in there with them?" Inuyasha asked.

"Yes. I don't think she's in any danger, but I do think that leaving her in there for too long may cause more problems. Let's get this done. Do any of you know a place to go?" Kikyo asked.

The group needed a safe place, away from any people and where Naraku would likely not look. They had to make sure that, if Kikyo was right, the aftermath of breaking that blade wouldn't take anyone else with them. At first, no one seemed to come up with anywhere.

"I know a place." Sango said. "It's not too far either."


End file.
